E-Paper
'Great day of celebration': How Iran, US, Bangladesh, France, other countries greeted India on Republic Day
While Xi Jinping reinforced ties with its "good friend and partner" India, Russian diplomats extended wishes in several Indian languages on Republic Day.
Greetings from across the world poured in as India marked the 77th Republic Day on Monday. The day Several countries, including Russia, Bangladesh, Iran, China and Japan extended wishes to India as it commemorated the adoption of the Constitution, which came into force on January 26, 1950.
While Chinese President Xi Jinping reinforced diplomatic ties with its "good friend and partner" India, US President Donald Trump said that India and the US shared a “historic bond”. Meanwhile, Russian diplomats extended wishes in several languages such as Oriya, Bengali, Malayalam, Punjabi, Urdu, Tamil, Assamese, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada, and Marathi.
Here's how countries greeted India:
Iran
Iran's foreign ministry extended wishes to the “friendly nation” of India on the 77th Republic Day. “The Islamic Republic of #Iran extends its warmest congratulations to the friendly nation and government of the Republic of #India on their Republic Day,” the ministry said in a tweet.
Iran, which has been witnessing widespread protests for nearly a month now, said that its government was determined to promote bilateral cooperation with India.
“We are determined to promote bilateral relations and cooperation in all areas that the two countries deem beneficial to our nations based on mutual respect and our common interests,” the tweet read.
Bangladesh
High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, Riaz Hamidullah, extended greetings on India marking the 77th Republic Day. “Bangladesh felicitates every woman-man-child in India on 77th Republic Day,” Hamidullah wrote in several Indian languages in a post on X.
The high commissioner's wishes to India come amid a strain in ties between India and Bangladesh over ousted PM Sheikh Hasina's ongoing exile in India, and protests led by several Hindu groups outside Bangladesh missions in India seen last month.
US
US President Donald Trump's message for India was shared by the American embassy on Monday. “On behalf of the people of the United States, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the government and people of India as you celebrate your 77th Republic Day. The United States and India share a historic bond as the world’s oldest and largest democracies,” Trump said in the message.
Newly-appointed US ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, also extended wishes on Republic Day, saying he was honoured to attend the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. “Thrilled to see the U.S.-made aircraft soaring in the Indian sky, a powerful symbol of the strength of the U.S.-India strategic partnership,” Gor said in a tweet.
France
French President Emmanuel Macron also extended greetings, sharing a picture of himself with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from Republic Day celebrations in 2024.
"What a beautiful memory of #RepublicDay by your side in 2024! My dear friend @NarendraModi, dear Indian friends, all my best wishes on this great day of celebration. See you in February to continue building together!," Macron wrote on X.
He was referring to his upcoming vist to India, scheduled for next month.
China
Chinese President Xi Jinping heaped praise on the country's ties with India as he extended greetings on Republic Day. Jinping described India and China as “good neighbours, friends and partners”, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.
He reportedly referred to China and India as the "dragon and the elephant dancing together," a phrase he has often used to describe the relations between the two countries.
Russia
Russian Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, shared a video on Monday, with Republic Day greetings from several Russian diplomats in Indian languages - Oriya, Marathi, Malayalam, Punjabi, Urdu, Tamil, Assamese, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali.
Alipov conveyed the wishes in Hindi. Watch the video here:
European Union
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was one of the chief guests at the grand Republic Day parade at Delhi's Kartavya Path, shared a clip from the ceremony on X and said it was an “honor of a lifetime” to be a guest there.
“A successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure. And we all benefit,” von der Leyen wrote.
Japan
Keiichi Ono, Japanese Ambassador to India, also extended warm greetings on the occassion. “Warm wishes on the 77th Republic Day of India. Looking forward to joining the celebrations, with the At-Home invitation received from the Hon'ble President of India -- a reminder of India's rich and diverse culture,” the official wrote on X.
