
Close ties: Manmohan Singh and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in 2013. Photo credit: PTI
Leaders from around the world, including France, Russia and Malaysia, expressed sadness at the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and recalled their interactions with him.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was one of the first to recall personal interactions with Dr. Singh as Prime Minister of India.

Dr. Singh and Mr. Ibrahim served as finance ministers in the 1990s and collaborated extensively.
Later, when Dr. Singh was imprisoned, he reached out to help his family.
Latest news on Manmohan Singh’s death
“Not many people know this, but now is the time for me to share it with Malaysians. During the years I was incarcerated, he extended kindness to me that I didn’t have to do. It wasn’t a political expediency, and as you can imagine, it was highly appreciated by the Malaysian government at the time. Yet, true to his character, he did it. That’s what I did. He offered scholarships to my children, especially my son Ethan. I declined the generous offer, but such a gesture was definitely on his part. “He has shown extraordinary humanity and generosity, showing that he is, in the words of the Bard, a man full of ‘the milk of human kindness,'” Ibrahim said in his address. A media post described Dr. Singh as “my Mitra, my Bhai”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described Dr. Singh as an “outstanding politician.”
“He has also personally made significant contributions to strengthening the friendly relations between our two countries by elevating them to the level of a strategic partnership with special privileges.”

Chargé d’affaires of the Palestinian Embassy, Abed El-Razegh Abu Jazer, paid tribute to Dr. Singh as a Palestinian in Palestine, and while in office, on January 21, 1992, the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat gave a He shared a photo of himself meeting Dr Singh in Delhi. Finance Minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government. It was during Dr Singh’s second term as Prime Minister that Palestine opened a brand new embassy in Chanakyapuri. It was jointly launched on September 11, 2012 by Dr. Singh and visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Dr. Singh as “one of the greatest champions of the U.S.-India strategic partnership” and praised him for laying the foundation for bilateral cooperation over the past two decades. Ta.
“His leadership in advancing the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement represents a significant investment in the potential of the U.S.-India relationship,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said: “India has lost a great man and France has lost a friend.”
issued – December 27, 2024 10:58 PM IST