Condolences continue to flow in after earthquake

BEIJING - More foreign leaders extended their condolences on Monday and Tuesday to China over the deadly earthquake in its Southwestern Sichuan province.

President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d'Ivoire said in a message to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that "in this very sad circumstances, I would like to express to you, to the friendly Chinese people and to the Chinese government my deepest condolences."

Nepali President Ram Baran Yadav expressed deep sadness over the loss of lives and massive destruction caused by the earthquake.

"At this hour of grief, on behalf of the people of Nepal and on my own, I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to your excellency and through you to the people of China and members of the bereaved families," the president said in a letter addressed to Xi.

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic sent his Chinese counterpart, Li Keqiang, condolences regarding the high amount of casualties and material damage caused by the strong quake.

"Serbian citizens sympathize with the Chinese people in these difficult times. The government of Serbia is ready to assist in the alleviation of severe consequences of the earthquake," he said.

European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement that "on the eve of my visit to Beijing, the news of the earthquake in Sichuan Province has profoundly moved me. I send my condolences to the families of those affected."

"The resilience of the Chinese people in the face of disaster and the work done by volunteers on the scene are impressive," she said.

The Colombian Foreign Ministry expressed solidarity with the Chinese people, saying it was confident China will quickly recover from the tragedy caused by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

Other Latin American countries, including Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, El Salvador and Venezuela, also expressed solidarity with China and sorrow for the loss of lives in Sichuan.

Others leaders sending condolences include Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni; Afghan President Hamid Karzai; Myanmar President U Thein Sein; Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev; Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite; Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan; Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti; Turkish President Abdullah Gul; Omani Sultan Qabus Bin Said al-Said; Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika; Ethiopian President Girma Wolde Giorgis; Seychelles President James Alix Michel; Bolivian President Juan Evo Morales Ayma; Austrian President Heinz Fischer; Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen; Tajik Prime Minister Akil Akilov; Ukrainian Prime Minister Mikola Azarov; Grenadan Prime Minister Keith Mitchell; Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo; leader of the Russia of Justice party and deputy chairman of the State Duma Nikolai Levichev; Afghan Meshrano Jirga President Fazel Hadi Muslimyar; Speaker of Kyrgyzstan's Parliament Asylbek Jeenbekov; and Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party Khaleda Zia.

The leaders also include Lebanese President Michel Suleiman; Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard; President of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly Vuk Jeremic; Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary-General Dmitry Mezentsev; Cambodian Deputy Prime Ministers Hor Namhong; foreign ministers of Myanmar, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Georgia, Libya, Sudan and Ethiopia, as well as officials of Bulgaria and Cape Verde.

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