AA / Montreal / Hatem Kattou
“We will miss you, dear friend,” was how Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concluded a statement released on Friday following learning of the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Prime Minister Abe and to the people of Japan who mourn this immense loss. You will be missed, dear friend,” the statement read.
The Canadian Prime Minister said he was “deeply shocked and saddened” to learn of Abe’s assassination, adding that “Canada condemns in the strongest terms this heinous attack and stands in solidarity with the Japanese people during this ordeal”.
“We have precious and deep ties of friendship with Japan, a friendship which was strengthened considerably when Mr. Abe was Prime Minister”, adds the text.
“He (Shinzo Abe) was a dedicated and visionary leader and a close friend of Canada,” adds Trudeau.
“We remain committed to the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region that Prime Minister Abe and I agreed to uphold during his visit to Ottawa in April 2019,” the statement further underlines. .
“Canada and Japan, noted the same source, have in common an unwavering commitment to their democratic values, including free, fair elections free of violence and intimidation.”
“This senseless act of violence, committed in the midst of an election, is deeply troubling. We will always oppose all forms of violence, threats and intimidation that undermine our democracies,” the text concludes.
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