NEW DELHI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the main opposition Congress party's chief Sonia Gandhi Wednesday condoled the demise of former Israel President Shimon Peres, saying that the country lost a steadfast friend in him.
"In his passing, Israel has lost a statesman who made courageous efforts to achieve peace for his country and the region. The worldwide admiration and accolades he received for his work -- including the Noble Peace Prize, are a testimony to the values that he stood for," President Mukherjee said.
In his message to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Mukherjee said that India remembers Peres as a steadfast friend of the country, "whose lasting contribution to strengthening of the close bilateral partnership between India and Israel will be long remembered".
On his part, Modi also condoled the death of the former Israeli leader and tweeted: "In former President Shimon Peres, we lost a key world leader and a friend of India. Pained by his demise. Our condolences to people of Israel."
Gandhi described him as a defining political figure. "Peres will be remembered as a steadfast pacifist and hopeful believer in peace and coexistence," she said, adding his tenure added strength and goodwill to the Indo-Israeli relationship.
Peres, who served twice as Israel's prime minister and once as president, died this morning at the age of 93 after his condition worsened Tuesday, following a stroke two weeks ago. He was one of the last of a generation of Israeli politicians present at the new nation's birth in 1948.
