World leaders have been reacting to Rishi Sunak's victory in the race to be the next British prime minister. Many offered their congratulations, and expressed hope for stability after a "turbulent" few weeks. Leading the congratulations and warm welcome were American President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At a White House event to mark the Hindu holiday of Diwali, President Biden described Sunak's nomination as the UK's next prime minister a "ground-breaking milestone". Biden had already said he would maintain a "close relationship" with whoever succeeded Liz Truss. The New York Times lauded the "record of representation" built by the Conservatives in recent years, saying Sunak's victory is another milestone in a history of promoting women and people of color to prominent positions. The Washington Post also emphasized Sunak's position as the first person of color to be prime minister. The paper added that it would be "the first time in history that the residents of Downing Street are richer than those of Buckingham Palace". The background: Joe Biden has already said he would maintain a "close relationship" with whoever succeeded Liz Truss. Modi tweeted: "As you become UK PM, I look forward to working closely together on global issues, and implementing Roadmap 2030," referring to a framework agreement struck between the two countries. "Special Diwali wishes to the 'living bridge' of UK Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership." Sunak's appointment has been big news in India, with Indian news channels breaking into rolling coverage. "Indian son rises over the Empire, history comes full circle in Britain," was how one channel put it. It is no surprise that there is a lot of interest in Sunak's rise in India. His grandparents come from Punjab, while his father-in-law is Narayana Murthy, is the founder of Infosys and one of India's best-known businessmen. Sunak is also a Hindu who took his oath as MP on the Hindu holy book the Bhagavad Gita. India and the UK have been trying to strike a free trade deal, but talks reportedly stalled over fears among Sunak's party it could lead to more immigration. Kenya's president, William Ruto, has yet to comment publicly on Sunak's new position, but the Kenyan press, led by The Taifa Leo newspaper, called Sunak's rise another "Barack Obama moment". "Sunak's case is nearly similar to that of former US President Barack Obama, who is an American citizen but has Kenyan roots as his father was born in Homa Bay County," Citizen Digital website said. Popular newspaper commentator Macharia Gaitho said "Kenya has conquered the British Empire". The European Council President Charles Michel, while welcoming Sunak, said: "Working together is the only way to face common challenges... and bringing stability is key to overcoming them." Sunak is a Brexit supporter, but many EU leaders will have breathed a sigh of relief that he, not Boris Johnson, is taking over as prime minister. He is considered a pragmatist, and EU officials will want to work with him on rising energy costs, and the difficult issue of the Northern Ireland protocol, an important trading arrangement struck during Brexit talks. Meanwhile, Irish PM Micheál Martin said he looked forward to working with Sunak, "on the important issues we face on these islands and globally". The Irish Times welcomed Sunak's reputation for "sensible politics", but said he will face challenges, particularly with Brexit. It is not yet clear what his election means for the Northern Ireland protocol, the paper said. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wen bin said: Beijing wants to "advance ties with the UK" under Sunak. He added: "We hope that we can work with the UK side on the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation and advance China-UK relations along the right track." The state-run CGTN highlighted reports that Sunak will be the first prime minister to be richer than the monarch. "His experience managing the UK's finances, and in particular his strongly-voiced opposition to Truss' disastrous plans for borrowing-funded tax cuts, prompted many in the party to view him as the safest choice," it said. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted his congratulations to Sunak. "I wish you to successfully overcome all the challenges facing British society and the whole world today. I'm ready to continue strengthening the Ukraine-UK strategic partnership together!" he said. Oleksandr Kornienko, the First Deputy Chairman of Ukraine's parliament, said he welcomed Sunak as a "colleague". He added: "Congratulations to the people of Great Britain on the fact that they have political stability again. After a short stage of turbulence." And Russia sees no reason to expect relations with the UK to improve under Sunak, the Kremlin said on Tuesday. All three main TV channels — the state's official Rossiya 1, state-controlled Channel One, and Gazprom-Media's NTV — have pointed out that Sunak was elected unopposed. Channel One correspondent Timur Siraziyev said Sunak was toeing his party's line on Ukraine — "to keep the conflict in Ukraine going as long as possible" — and it was therefore "not to be expected that with the advent of the new prime minister, relations between our countries will improve". In Australia, Treasurer Jim Chalmers called Sunak a great friend of Australia. "I don't think it's insignificant a country like the United Kingdom has its first prime minister of color," he said. — BBC
