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Around the world: Foreign leaders react to Trump victory in U.S. election


Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters as he takes the stage for a campaign event in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 14, 2015. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters as he takes the stage for a campaign event in Dallas, Monday, Sept. 14, 2015. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
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In his victory speech on Wednesday morning, President-elect Donald Trump told the world community that while his administration will always put America's interests first, the United States will deal fairly with people of all nations around the globe.

Trump's win came as a surprise not only to Americans, but has shocked many of her allies. Below is a compilation of responses from leaders around the world to the prospects of working with a new Donald Trump administration:

CANADA

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to work with President-elect Donald Trump "in a positive way."

Trudeau told students in Ottawa that he will work with Trump not just for Canadians and Americans "but for the whole world."

The prospect of Americans moving to Canada after Trump's win drew so much online interest it temporarily knocked out Canada's immigration website. Internet searches for "move to Canada" spiked Tuesday night as election returns favored Trump. "Canada" was a leading U.S. trend on Twitter.

The website for Citizenship and Immigration Canada went down due to a surge in traffic. Andree-Lyne Halle, a spokeswoman for Trudeau, said staff worked throughout the night to resolve the issue.

MEXICO

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is congratulating the U.S. on its election — though not directly winner Donald Trump, who alarmed many by describing Mexican migrants as murderers and rapists.

Pena Nieto has sent a series of tweets repeating his readiness to work with Trump "in favor of the bilateral relationship." He says Mexico and the U.S. "are friends, partners and allies who should continue collaborating for the competitiveness and development of North America."

The value of Mexico's peso currency plunged sharply after the election of Trump, who has denounced the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mexican Treasury Secretary Jose Antonio Meade urged against "premature reactions." He said the election result won't immediately affect trade and said Mexico "is in a position of strength" to face whatever may come.

Mexico's treasury chief says the country has been working to solidify its finances in preparation for external shocks such as the election of Donald Trump.

Treasury Secretary Jose Antonio Meade says Britain's Brexit vote was one shock, the U.S. election result another and the Fed's decision on interest rates in December is yet another possibility.

Meade told journalists that officials don't plan any immediate moves to prop up the peso, which plunged about 9.5 percent after the U.S. election result due to fears Trump's policies would slam the Mexican economy.

Meade says the state-owned oil company announced its new five-year plan the week before the election to send the message that it was not linked to the vote.

GREAT BRITAIN

British Prime Minister Theresa May has congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying the two countries will remain "strong and close partners on trade, security and defense."

May said Trump had won after "a hard-fought campaign."

May, who took office after British voters delivered a shock to the establishment by deciding to leave the European Union, declined to comment on rival candidates Trump and Hillary Clinton while the U.S. race was on.

On Wednesday, she stressed the enduring trans-Atlantic "special relationship, based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise."

FRANCE

French President Francois Hollande says the election of Donald Trump "opens a period of uncertainty. It must be faced with lucidity and clarity."

In brief remarks, Hollande congratulated Trump "as is natural between two heads of state," but showed little enthusiasm. Hollande had openly endorsed Hillary Clinton.

Hollande said "certain positions taken by Donald Trump during the American campaign must be confronted." He says "what is at stake is peace, the fight against terrorism, the situation in the Middle East. It is economic relations and the preservation of the planet."

The first French presidential candidate to comment on the U.S. election was populist, anti-immigrant politician Marine Le Pen, congratulating Trump even before the final results were known.

Le Pen, hoping to ride anti-establishment sentiment to victory in April-May French presidential elections, tweeted her support to the "American people, free!"

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said France would continue to work with the new president whoever wins but warned "We don't want a world where egoism triumphs." France's Socialist government had openly endorsed Clinton.

GERMANY

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has offered President-elect Donald Trump "close cooperation" on the basis of shared trans-Atlantic values that she says include respect for human dignity regardless of people's origin, gender or religion.

Merkel told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that the campaign which ended in Trump's victory featured "confrontations that were difficult to bear."

Merkel stressed Germany's close historical connection with the United States. She said: "Germany and America are connected by values: democracy, freedom, respect for the law and for the dignity of human beings, independently of origin, skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political views."

A German government spokesman says Chancellor Angela Merkel could meet Donald Trump before the G7 meeting in Italy in May.

Asked about the impact of Trump's election win on ending the war in Ukraine, Steffen Seibert says Germany "will certainly stand by its policy on Russia." The U.S. and the EU have slapped sanctions on Russia for backing separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Martin Schaefer, German foreign ministry spokesman, said the mood in Berlin ranges "from consternation to beyond."

Stefanie Huppman, who works in Berlin, calls the U.S. election result "terrible. But every country gets the president it deserves."

The leaders of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which campaigns against Chancellor Angela Merkel's refugee policy, have welcomed Donald Trump's presidential victory.

Party co-leader Frauke Petry says "it was high time that people disenfranchised by the political establishment get their voice back" in the U.S. Petry said Trump's victory offered the chance to "readjust the trans-Atlantic relationship and end the big conflicts in Ukraine and Syria jointly with Russia."

JAPAN

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida says Japan is working on building ties with Trump and his advisers so Tokyo is well-prepared in case of any policy changes under his presidency.

Kishida says on TV it's still unclear how Trump's policy and his political leadership will affect Japan, and it may "require our flexible response." Trump has said Japan should pay more for American troops stationed in Japan under the bilateral security pact or pull them out.


Kishida says Japan is still trying to understand how important the Asia-Pacific region is to Trump.

CHINA

Chinese President Xi Jinping has conveyed his congratulations to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying he looked forward to working with Trump on promoting ties in a "constructive" way that avoids conflict and confrontation.

During his campaign, Trump accused China of illegally subsidizing exports, manipulating its currency and stealing intellectual property.

State broadcaster CCTV reported Wednesday that Xi said the two biggest economies in the world shouldered a "special and important responsibility in upholding world peace."

Xi says: "I highly value China-U.S. relations and am looking forward to working with you to expand cooperation in all fields." He says he expects they would "manage differences in a constructive way."

Without commenting directly on Donald Trump's election, China's government says Beijing hopes to work with the new U.S. administration to build sustainable ties and expressed confidence the two countries can handle trade disputes maturely.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday that China is "looking forward to making concerted efforts with the new U.S. government to ensure the sustainable, steady and sound development of bilateral relations" to benefit both countries' people and the world.

Asked about U.S. voters' anger about economic losses blamed on Chinese exports, Lu said only that the two countries had established ways to deal with trade disputes.

RUSSIA

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is ready to try to restore good relations with the United States in the wake of the election of Donald Trump.

Putin said Wednesday at a ceremony accepting the credentials of new ambassadors that "we aware that it is a difficult path, in view of the unfortunate degradation of relations between the Russian Federation and the United States."

Putin says "it is not our fault that Russian-American relations are in such a state."

Earlier, the Kremlin said Putin sent Trump a telegram of congratulation, expressing "his hope to work together for removing Russian-American relations from their crisis state."

Russia's lower house of parliament is applauding the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president.

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev says the election of Republican Donald Trump as U.S. president offers an opportunity to repair ties between Moscow and Washington.

The Interfax news agency reported Gorbachev as saying "under a new president of the U.S. the Russian-American relationship could get significantly better. I am convinced it is essential now to go straight into a two-way dialogue at the highest level."

The 85-year-old Gorbachev was admitted to a hospital Wednesday for what Russian media reported was a planned pacemaker.

NATO

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he's looking forward to working with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and that U.S. leadership is vital to the world's biggest military alliance.

Stoltenberg said Wednesday that "it is important that the Trans-Atlantic bond remains strong" and that "U.S. leadership is as important as ever."

Trump has criticized many allies for not paying their fair share of the NATO budget.

Stoltenberg said he looks forward to welcoming Trump at next Spring's NATO summit in Brussels.

Poland's President Andrzej Duda has congratulated Donald Trump and reminded him of the important "strategic partnership" shared by their two nations, including the pledge to send troops to NATO's eastern flank.

Poland's populist leadership shares a number of ideological similarities with Trump. Yet there is anxiety in Poland that a Trump presidency could leave the region more vulnerable to a resurgent Russia given Trump's repeated praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggestions by Trump that the U.S. might not protect its NATO allies if they are attacked.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he hopes Donald Trump's election as president marks a new era in the United States that he hopes will lead to "beneficial" steps for fundamental rights, liberties and democracy in the world.

Turkey's prime minister has called on Donald Trump to extradite a U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen — blamed by Ankara for the failed coup in July — as soon as he is sworn in.

Binali Yildirim also said Wednesday that he hoped that the new leadership in the United States would take into consideration Turkey's "sensitivities concerning the fight against terrorism," give priority to policies that would bring peace and stability to the region.

Ties between the two allies have been strained over perceptions in Turkey that the United States is reluctant to arrest and extradite Gulen.

EUROPEAN UNION

European Council President Donald Tusk says the election of Donald Trump has brought uncertainty and poses new challenges for trans-Atlantic ties.

Tusk told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday that "while respecting the democratic choice of the American people, we are the same time aware of the new challenges that these results bring."

He spoke of a "moment of uncertainty over the future of our trans-Atlantic relations" Tusk added "the EU is a strong and reliable partner and will remain so. We expect the same from America and its new president."

European Union foreign ministers will hold a special meeting on Sunday to assess the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president and what it means for trans-Atlantic relations.

The 28 EU foreign ministers are set to meet with foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini for a dinner in Brussels. European leaders have been fearful that Trump would lead an isolationist and protectionist course, undermining the cornerstones of trans-Atlantic cooperation.

European Union leaders have invited U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to come visit the 28-nation bloc as possible to assess trans-Atlantic ties.

With "sincere congratulations," EU Council President Donald Tusk and his Commission counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker said that, despite Trump's campaign talk of protectionism and isolationism, both sides "should consolidate the bridges we have been building across the Atlantic."

The European Union's foreign policy chief says that the trans-Atlantic ties with the United States go beyond the election of Donald Trump.

Federica Mogherini said Wednesday in a Twitter message that "EU-US ties are deeper than any change in politics. We'll continue to work together, rediscovering the strength of Europe."

EUROPE

Italy's premier has offered his congratulations to Donald Trump, brushing aside political differences, following his repeated public endorsements of Hillary Clinton.

Premier Matteo Renzi says Wednesday "in the name of Italy, I congratulate the president of the United States and wish him well in his work, convinced that the Italian-American friendship remains strong and solid."

Renzi faces his own political reckoning next month with a constitutional referendum that has mobilized opposition as well as party dissidents against him. A no vote is likely to force at least a government shuffling, if not a new election.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders says, in a reaction to Donald Trump's U.S. presidential win, "we will judge him on his actions."

Koenders, of the center-left Labor Party, says during the U.S. campaign "Trump made statements that were at odds with how we like to see our society and world order," citing Trump comments about U.S. relationships with NATO, Russia and the European Union.

Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. election is being viewed with shock and revulsion in Ireland. The country is close to the Clintons and fearful of Trump's campaign pledge to confront U.S. companies using Ireland as a tax shelter.

The head of Italy's anti-migrant anti-EU Northern League, Matteo Salvini, said Trump's victory "signaled epochal changes," and he set his sights immediately on leader Matteo Renzi, who faces a critical test in a referendum on constitutional reforms next month.

The Northern League has been keen to form alliances with far-right parties across Europe. Salvini, who is meeting with Russian lawmakers next week in Moscow, says Trump "has taught us that who has courage wins."

The head of the anti-establishment 5-Star movement, Beppe Grillo, says "Trump represents the point of no return of a world that is changing."

The Irish Times branded the New York businessman a "misogynistic racist liar" who would fan instability overseas and intolerance at home.

Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway don't expect Donald Trump's election win to affect their key relations with the United States.

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila, a self-made millionaire, says he was surprised by the U.S. election result, saying the polls "got it pretty badly wrong about Brexit as well."

Sipila said that U.S. relations for Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) border with Russia, are of "paramount" importance and that Trump's victory wouldn't mean a change in the non-aligned county's defense policy, its close ties to NATO or Finnish-Russian relations.

In Sweden, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said many people felt concerned about the U.S. election result, but that they had been "prepared" for it. He said Sweden has a long tradition of cooperation with U.S. governments "regardless of party political affiliations."

Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg congratulated Donald Trump, saying "the United States is our closest ally. It is decisive that we continue the cooperation."

In Denmark, Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen "let's give Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt."

The residents of Melania Trump's home town in Slovenia are hoping the future U.S. First Lady will come to visit together with her husband.

U.S. flags could be seen in the industrial town of Sevnica on Wednesday as the news came in of Donald Trump winning the U.S. presidency.

Sevnica mayor Srecko Ocvirk says he doesn't expect Melania Trump to come any time soon but "I expect her to visit Sevnica later."

Melania Trump's childhood neighbor, Mirjana Jelancic, says she is happy for her friend. She says "it was part of her dreams and we are happy if she succeeds."

Melania Trump, 46, was born Melanija Knavs in Sevnica. She left Slovenia in her 20s' to pursue an international modelling career.

MIDDLE EAST

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has congratulated Donald Trump, calling him a "true friend of the State of Israel."

Netanyahu said Wednesday he believes the two leaders "will continue to strengthen the unique alliance between our two countries and bring it to ever greater heights."

Earlier, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, said Tump's victory means that "the era of a Palestinian state is over." The Palestinians want a state in lands Israel captured in 1967.

Netanyahu has said he is willing to negotiate a border deal, but has pressed ahead with Jewish settlement expansion on war-won land.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he "congratulates the elected American president, Donald Trump, and hopes that peace will be achieved during his term."

An Abbas aide, Saeb Erekat, said Wednesday he doesn't expect U.S. positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to change under Trump. Erekat said the Republican and Democratic parties are both committed to a two-state solution of the conflict.

The Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967.

Iran's president says the historic nuclear deal between Iran and world powers "cannot be overturned by a single government."

President Hassan Rouhani spoke Wednesday following the election of Donald Trump, a harsh critic of the deal, as U.S. president. Trump has suggested he would try to renegotiate the agreement under which Iran curbs its nuclear program in exchange for a gradual lifting of international sanctions.

In remarks on Iranian state TV, Rouhani says the international position of the United States has been weakened "due to its recent wrong policies." He says the U.S. election results show that America's "sickness and civil instability will persist for a long time."

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has congratulated Donald Trump, saying he is looking forward to continued support in his country's fight against the extremist Islamic State group.

In a statement on his website, al-Abadi said Wednesday that he hopes the "world and the United States will continue support Iraq in fighting terrorism." He says terrorism doesn't threaten Iraq alone, but the whole world."

Egypt's president has congratulated Donald Trump on winning the U.S. presidential election, saying Cairo wants to see more "cooperation and coordination" between the two nations to bolster stability and peace in the Middle East.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi telephoned Trump to offer his congratulations and invited him to visit Egypt. Cairo receives more than $1 billion dollars annually in U.S. military and economic aid.

The Taliban have called on Donald Trump to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan once he takes office as president.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Wednesday that a Trump administration "should allow Afghans to become a free nation and have relationships with other countries based on non-interference in each other's affairs."

The Afghan conflict is in its 16th year. The Taliban have spread their footprint across Afghanistan in the two years since most international combat troops withdrew.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has congratulated businessman Donald Trump on being elected U.S. president, calling his win "historic."

The Pakistani leader says Wednesday that Trump's election "is indeed the triumph of the American people and their enduring faith in the ideals of democracy, freedom, human rights and free enterprise."

ASIA PACIFIC

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says his country will work "as closely as ever" with the United States under Donald Trump's new administration.

He says "politicians and governments, congressmen, senators, prime ministers, presidents come and go according to the will of the people of Australia and the United States, but the bond between our two nations, our shared common interests, our shared national interests are so strong, are so committed."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Donald Trump in a message posted on Twitter. Modi tweeted that "we appreciate the friendship you have articulated toward India."

Trump had reached out to Indian-American voters at a rally in New Jersey in mid-October, praising Modi and vowing to defeat terrorism.

In the Indian capital, some right-wing Hindu nationalists from the group Hindu Sena celebrated Trump's victory.

The Philippines' foul-mouthed president has welcomed Donald Trump's election victory, calling him a fellow curser.

Rodrigo Duterte, during a visit to Malaysia on Wednesday, says "Long live Mr. Trump! We both curse at the slightest reason. We are alike."

Duterte has previously told President Barack Obama in the past to "go to hell" and criticized U.S. officials for expressing concern about his brutal crackdown on illegal drug sellers and users.

Philippine officials said Wednesday that Duterte has decided to reduce the number of joint military exercises with the United States.

Indonesia's president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo says the world's most populous Muslim nation will work with Donald Trump's new U.S. administration.

He says "we will keep good relations, especially in trade and investment as we know the U.S. is one of Indonesia's major investors.

But, Komaruddin Hidayat, a noted Indonesian Islamic scholar, says Trump's election as U.S. president is "shocking" for many people in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation. Hidayat says Trump has signaled backing for ultra-nationalist, isolationist and protectionist policies that could be harmful.

CENTRAL / SOUTH AMERICA

Cuba's Castro government announced the launch of five days of nationwide military exercises to prepare troops to confront “a range of enemy actions.” The government did not directly link the military maneuvers to Trump's election, but the Republican President-elect has vowed to roll back President Obama's normalization of relations with Cuba.

Nicaragua's leftist President Daniel Ortega has sent a congratulatory greeting to Donald Trump, saying he and his people "believe it is possible to work with the United States" on the world's problems, "giving priority to peace."

Ortega on Sunday celebrated an electoral victory of his own, winning a third consecutive term as leader of the Central American country.

Venezuela's foreign ministry is congratulating Donald Trump on his win and saying it hopes he can advance "respectful bilateral political and diplomatic relations."

It also expresses hopes that the new chapter will be marked by "respect for non-intervention in internal affairs."

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly accused Washington of trying to overthrow the South American country's government, a charge that has been rejected by State Department representatives

AFRICA

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has sent a message of congratulations to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying "the American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly."

Kenyatta says Wednesday "the ties that bind Kenya and the United States of America are close and strong. They are old, and based in the values that we hold dear: in democracy, in the rule of law, and in the equality of peoples."

A top official in South Sudan has welcomed the election victory of Donald Trump.

South Sudan's Minister of Information and government spokesman Michael Makuei says Trump "will be better after all" for his nation. Makeui says "I really doubt President Obama had any clear policy to South Sudan other than to destroy it. "

UNITED NATIONS

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the United Nations will count on Donald Trump's administration to strengthen international cooperation to meet today's global challenges.

Ban said the U.N. hopes to work with his U.S. government "to uphold shared ideals, combat climate change, advance human rights, promote mutual understanding" and implement U.N. goals for 2030.

Ban says after "a hard-fought and often divisive campaign, it is worth recalling and reaffirming that the unity in diversity of the United States is one of the country's greatest strengths."

Ban also praised Hillary Clinton "for a lifetime commitment to peace, the advancement of women and the well-being of children."

The two countries continue to engage in trade despite not having embassies in their respective capitals since 2010.

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Sinclair Broadcast Group national online news writer Leandra Bernstein contributed to this report.











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