By AFP
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday he was “deeply distressed” by the shooting of Shinzo Abe, describing the former Japanese premier as a “dear friend”.
“Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe,” Modi wrote on Twitter. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan.”
Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha was “very shocked” at the Friday shooting of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, the kingdom’s foreign affairs minister said, describing the pair as friends.
“Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha is very shocked by what has happened to former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe… Prayut and Abe are friends and they have a relatively close relationship,” foreign minister Don Pramudwinai told reporters in Bangkok.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced alarm and sadness on Friday after the shooting of Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe, a longtime ally of Washington.
“This is a very, very sad moment,” Blinken told reporters at a G20 meeting in Bali, saying the United States was “deeply saddened and deeply concerned”.
“We don’t know his condition,” Blinken said. “Our thoughts, our prayers are with him, with his family, with the people of Japan.”
Blinken was speaking at the start of a meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who is chairing the Group of 20 talks. She said that she wished to “convey our deepest sympathies, and our prayers, for the speedy recovery of the former prime minister”.
The US ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, said Friday he was “saddened and shocked” by the shooting of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe at a campaign event.
“We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former prime minister Abe Shinzo. Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the United States. The US Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, and people of Japan,” Emanuel said in a statement.
