Musharraf resigns: Reactions from world leaders

LONDON: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said he will resign after nine years in office. World figures have been giving their reaction.Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesmanWe hope that the resignation will have a positive impact on strengthening the government and democracy in Pakistan. Afghanistan wishes a stable, democratic Pakistan based on the rule of law.Spokesman for the British PM Gordon BrownDuring President Musharraf's time in office we have seen a deepening of UK-Pakistan relations. We wish him well in the future. But relations between the UK and Pakistan don't depend on individuals and, as we have made clear, we support measures that promote strong democratic institutions which lead to greater stability, democracy and rule of law in Pakistan.David Miliband, British Foreign SecretaryPakistan is a vital friend of the UK and it is essential for Britain's security that it has a strong and democratic government with a clear mandate. The responsibilities on political leaders in Pakistan are now significant. They need to come together to ensure that the recently-elected government carries forward an economic and security agenda consistent with the long-term interests of the Pakistani people.Yasuo Fukuda, Japanese Prime MinisterWhat kind of changes does this bring to the "war-on-terror" and the Afghan situation? I don't expect any significant change for now. I would expect different things would occur later. But it is not a time for us to make predictions.Pranab Mukherjee, Indian Foreign MinisterIt is an internal matter of Pakistan. During my [recent] visit to Pakistan, I had, in fact, developed a personal relationship with the leaders of that country. From Nawaz Sharif to Asif Ali Zardari and Yusuf Gilani, I have cordial discussions with all of them and it seems to me that a positive approach could be made in improving our relations.Russian Ministry of Foreign AffairsRussia hopes that the resignation of Pervez Musharraf will have no negative consequences for the political stability of this great Asian state. We hope that the situation in Pakistan will not leave the limits of the constitutional framework and will remain within the framework of legality and respect for order.Spokesman for European CommissionThere is not a lot to say; the European Commission considers the resignation of Pakistan President Musharraf as essentially a matter of internal politics in Pakistan.Spokesman for German Foreign MinistryWe expect that we will continue to deal with a Pakistan government (and) with a Pakistani president in the future who does not only have an eye on the situation in Pakistan itself but also on regional stability and who does his part to contribute to peace and stability in Afghanistan... Peaceful conflict resolution with its neighbors and decisiveness in fighting terrorism in all its forms are of crucial importance to us... Germany will continue to stand by Pakistan in the future as the country develops and stabilizes its democracy.Stephen Smith, Australian Foreign MinisterPolitical stability is now required in Pakistan following the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf [as] political instability in Pakistan is not in the interests of Pakistan nor the regional or international community... The Pakistani Government needed to renew efforts to deal with its security and economic problems. It is important that the government of Pakistan now moves with purpose to tackle the security and economic challenges facing the country… These challenges have regional and international implications... Australia - as a friend of Pakistan - would look to assist it in dealing with the challenges especially in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.(Courtesy: bbc.co.uk)