US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday offered condolences on the passing of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj calling her a “friend” and a “strong partner”.
“Saddened to hear of the passing of my friend and former Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. She was a strong partner who shared our view that a more democratic world is a more peaceful one,” he wrote on Twitter.
Pompeo had first met Swaraj at the inaugural 2+2 ministerial in New Delhi in September 2018. They may have spoken over the phone a few more times.
“The US partnership with Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was one of respect and understanding,” Alice Wells, the acting head of the South and Central Asia bureau of the state department wrote in a separate post on Twitter. “She was critical in strengthening US-India ties. I send my deepest condolences to the people of India during this difficult time.”