World Leaders Congratulate Biden on Election as US President

World leaders and lawmakers have congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory in the US presidential election.

Germany, Canada and France, which have had strained ties with the Trump administration despite being its G7 and NATO partners, were among the first to recognise Biden’s victory.

“I look forward to future cooperation with President Biden,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement on Twitter. “Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we are to master the great challenges of our time.”

Merkel’s finance minister, Olaf Scholz, went further, suggesting a Biden administration would mark a reset of trans-Atlantic ties. “Now there is a chance for a new and exciting chapter in trans-Atlantic relations,” he tweeted.

In France Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also reacted on Twitter, declaring “Welcome back America!”

“While we are about to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, this victory symbolizes our need to act together more than ever, in view of climate emergency,” she wrote.

The US left the landmark agreement earlier this week.

French President Emmanuel Macron also posted a lively tweet, writing: “The Americans have chosen their President. We have a lot to do to overcome today’s challenges. Let’s work together!

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he looked forward to tackling “the world’s greatest challenges” with the new administration, including climate change, an issue with which many nations have argued over with Trump.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has had a much smoother relationship with Trump, and was even dubbed “Britain Trump” by the incumbent, has never met Biden and commentators have suggested he will have to work hard to foster the so-called “special relationship” between the close allies.

“Congratulations to Joe Biden on his election as President of the United States and to Kamala Harris on her historic achievement,” Johnson said in a statement.

“The U.S. is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security.”

Ireland, where Biden traces his family roots, called him the 46th U.S. President, despite Trump accusing Biden of “rushing to falsely pose as the winner.”

“Ireland takes pride in Joe Biden’s election, just as we are proud of all the generations of Irish women and Irish men and their ancestors whose toil and genius have enriched the diversity that powers America,” Prime Minister Micheal Martin said in a statement.

Similarly, Oman’s sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said sent a letter to Biden expressing “his sincere congratulations for winning the confidence of the American people and for his election as President of the upcoming presidential term.”

In the United States, former president Barack Obama, who endorsed and campaigned for Biden, said he “could not be prouder” of the president-elect.

I could not be prouder to congratulate our next President, Joe Biden, and our next First Lady, Jill Biden,” Obama said in a statement posted to Twitter.

“I also couldn’t be prouder to congratulate Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff for Kamala’s groundbreaking election as our next Vice President,” he said.

“We’re fortunate that Joe’s got what it takes to be President and already carries himself that way,” Obama. “Because when he walks into the White House in January, he’ll face a series of extraordinary challenges no incoming President ever has – a raging pandemic, an unequal economy and justice system, a democracy at risk, and a climate in peril.”

Former first lady Michelle Obama also extended her support for Biden and Harris.

“I’m beyond thrilled that my friend @JoeBiden and our first Black and Indian-American woman Vice President, @KamalaHarris, are headed to restore some dignity, competence, and heart at the White House. Our country sorely needs it,” she said in a thread on Twitter.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrated Biden’s White House win, telling a crowd in New York City, “The long, dark night in America is over.”

“I say to Donald Trump, you lost, no more games, go home to Florida,” Schumer said.

Trump, the first incumbent since George H.W. Bush to lose his bid for a second term, has yet to concede and has vowed to contest Biden’s win.

Rita Osakwe /Agency Reports

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