Messages of congratulation pour in after Iran polls

Messages of congratulation are pouring in from around the world following President Hassan Rouhani's victory in a presidential election which saw a huge voter turnout.

Rouhani garnered 23.5 million votes out of 41.2 million ballots cast. Iran has 56.4 million eligible voters.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message to his Iranian counterpart, saying Iran had gained new social and economic achievements under Rouhani.

Xi also said his country attached great importance to boosting ties with Iran and expressed his keenness to join hands with Rouhani to further develop bilateral relations.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe felicitated Rouhani on his election victory, voicing hope that the Iranian president will continue to play a constructive role for peace and prosperity in the Middle East.

Abe said he was looking forward to working with Rouhani on bolstering cooperation between Tehran and Tokyo in various fields. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida sent a similar congratulatory message to the Iranian president.

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah and Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah sent separate messages of felicitation to Rouhani.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan also commended Rouhani for scoring a decisive victory in Friday's presidential election.

“I am confident that during your tenure in office, Iran will continue to develop, bringing its considerable and important contribution to the establishment of regional peace and stability,” Sargsyan  said.

French President Emmanuel Macron, in his message, said Rouhani's victory had reinforced hopes for the implementation of a 2015 nuclear accord between the Islamic Republic and the group of P5+1 countries. 

In a statement released on Saturday, Macron's office said the French president would seek to strengthen economic, scientific and cultural ties with Iran.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also congratulated Rouhani for being elected for a second term in office and encouraged him "to continue Iran’s engagement with the international community."

Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said his country "welcomes President Rouhani’s commitment to continue implementing Iran’s nuclear obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and to improve the lives of ordinary Iranians."

Secretary General of Hezbollah resistance movement Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the high turnout had proved to the world that the Iranian nation and the government enjoy freedom, awareness and sovereignty, in contrast to other parts of the region which are ruled by dictators.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate his Iranian counterpart both in English and Persian languages, while Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev offered his congratulations. 

Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of Rai al-Youm paper, said the Iranian people chose the path of moderation and gave the most democratic and civilized answer to the war campaign pursued by US President Donald Trump and his regional allies.

While Saudi Arabia is beating on the war drums, the Iranian nation has chosen the path of dialog, he said. 

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