PM Modi mourns death of Japan's Shinzo Abe; one-day national mourning to be observed on 9 July

Mumbai: World leaders on Friday mourned the shocking and untimely death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe who was shot at during a campaign event in the city of Nara, in western Japan. As a sign of respect, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced that one-day national mourning will be observed on 9 July as a mark of India's deepest respect for the former Japanese prime minister.Mourning the demise, Modi took to Twitter and wrote: "I am shocked and saddened beyond words at the tragic demise of one of my dearest friends, Shinzo Abe. He was a towering global statesman, an outstanding leader, and a remarkable administrator. He dedicated his life to make Japan and the world a better place.""My association with Mr Abe goes back many years. I had got to know him during my tenure as Gujarat CM and our friendship continued after I became PM. His sharp insights on economy and global affairs always made a deep impression on me," he added.Modi mentioned that during his recent visit to Japan in May, "I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Abe again and discuss many issues. He was witty and insightful as always. Little did I know that this would be our last meeting. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the Japanese people."He also credited Abe for his "immense contribution" towards elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. "Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment," PM Modi wrote.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, too, took to Twitter to express his condolences on Abe's demise.Congress Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor remembered the former Japanese Prime Minister as a 'True Friend of India'. He tweeted:Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda tweeted that he was saddened by the death of Abe and that he will be remembered as a visionary who served Japan relentlessly.With input from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.