MEXICO CITY (AP) – Leaders around the world welcomed the arrival of U.S. President Joe Biden and the end of Donald Trump’s often-contested presidency, pointing out the most pressing issues of the world, including the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, which require multilateral cooperation, an approach that ridiculed Trump.
Many expressed hope on Wednesday that Biden would hit the world’s largest democracy two weeks after seeing riots storm the Capitol, shaking the faith of those fighting for democracy in their own countries.
Targeted and sanctioned governments under Trump embraced the opportunity for a fresh start with Biden, while some heads of state who praised Trump’s mix of nationalism and populism were more restrained in their expectations for the administration. of Biden, and in some cases spoke nostalgically of the Trump years.
But the opportunity to repair worn-out alliances and work together to address issues that stretched beyond a country’s borders meant the day.
Biden “understands the value and importance of multilateralism. He understands the importance of cooperation between nations, “said former Colombian President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Juan Manuel Santos, who left office in 2018.
“In fact, if we do not cooperate (all nations) to fight climate change, we will all die. It’s as simple as that, “said Santos.
French President Emmanuel Macron also noted the urgency of addressing the dangers the world faces from climate change after Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris climate deal, a move Biden had to reverse in the early hours of his presidency.
With Biden, “we will be stronger to face the challenges of our time. Stronger to build our future. Stronger to protect our planet, “he wrote on Twitter.” Welcome back to the Paris Agreement! ”
Elsewhere in Europe, close U.S. allies finally saw an opportunity to emerge from the cold after a strain on security and economic relations with the Trump administration.
“This new dawn in the United States is the moment we have been waiting for so long,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who hailed Biden’s arrival as “a resounding proof that, once again, after four long years, Europe has a friend in the White House. “
European Council President Charles Michel said that transatlantic relations “have suffered a lot in the last four years. In recent years, the world has become more complex, less stable and less predictable”.
“We have our differences and they will not magically disappear. It seems that America has changed and so has its perception of Europe and the rest of the world, ”added Michel, whose open criticism of Trump contrasted with the silence that reigned mostly in Europe while the Republican leader was in power. the White. House.
In Germany, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued a video statement, calling the inauguration of Biden a “good morning for democracy.”
“Despite attempts to destroy the U.S. institutional fabric, election workers and governors, the judiciary and Congress have proven strong,” he said.
With Biden and new Vice President Kamala Harris, Steinmeier said the United States would once again be a “vital partner” in addressing issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, security issues, including arms control and disarmament, and multiple conflicts.
In Ballina, Ireland, where Biden’s great-grandfather was born in 1832, a mural of a smiling Biden adorned a city wall, where some of the president’s relatives still live.
“As he takes the oath of office, I know President Biden will feel the weight of history: the presence of his Irish ancestors who left Mayo and Louth in times of famine in search of life and hope,” the former said. Irish Minister, Micheal Martin.
Pope Francis urged Biden to help foster reconciliation in the United States and build a society “marked by genuine justice and freedom” and that takes special care of the poor.
The “severe crises” facing all of humanity call for far-fetched responses, Francis said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who established close ties with Trump, noted a “warm personal friendship” with Biden. “I look forward to working with you to further strengthen the US-Israel alliance … and address common challenges, most notably the threat posed by Iran,” Netanyahu said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has accused Trump of unfair bias toward Israel with policies such as moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, expressed hope for a more equitable approach to Biden. He called for “a comprehensive and just peace process that meets the aspirations of freedom and independence of the Palestinian people.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose country has maintained a tumultuous relationship with Washington, having been criticized for helping the Afghan Taliban, said in a tweet that he hoped to build a stronger partnership through trade, economic engagement and fight against climate change.
In Latin America, Biden faces immediate immigration challenges and the leaders of the two most populous countries, Brazil and Mexico, were upset with Trump. The Trump administration also took a hard line against the governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, extending painful sanctions.
In Venezuela, the government of President Nicolás Maduro urged dialogue with the Biden administration, while waiting for the new president to abandon the avalanche of harmful sanctions imposed by Trump to try a regime change.
Some Venezuelans, however, like retired accountant Jesus Sanchez, 79, said he was disappointed to see Trump step down. Trump supported opposition leader Juan Guaidó and gave Venezuelans like him hope that Maduro’s days in power would be numbered.
Carlos Vecchio, Guaido’s envoy to Washington, whom the U.S. recognizes as Venezuela’s ambassador, tweeted his photo at Biden’s inauguration. The Venezuelan opposition promoted the invitation to attend as proof that the Biden administration will continue its strong support and resist Maduro’s requests for a dialogue that the U.S. has strongly rejected so far.
Cuba’s leaders may have a more realistic hope for better relations: Biden was in the White House because of the historic thaw in relations in 2014 and several officials expressed a desire to reopen a dialogue with Washington if the sovereignty of Washington was respected. Cuba.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel mocked Trump via Twitter and cited “more than 200 measures that tightened the financial, trade and economic blockade, an expression of a despicable and inhumane policy.”
In Mexico, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who cultivated an unexpected friendly relationship with Trump and was one of the last world leaders to acknowledge Biden’s victory, read a letter he sent to Biden in 2012, calling for a reorientation of the relationship. bilateral out of security and military aid and towards development.
He urged Biden to implement immigration reform and added, “We need to maintain a very good relationship with the U.S. government and I have no doubt it will be so.”
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Cook reported from Brussels. AP writers Nicole Winfield in Vatican City, Kathy Gannon in Islamabad, Laurie Kellman and Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Alex Sanz in Atlanta, David Rising in Berlin, Joshua Goodman in Miami, Andrea Rodriguez in Havana, Scott Smith in Caracas, Venezuela, Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.