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Foreign leaders have been reacting to the US presidential election as John Kerry concedes victory to George W Bush.
Tony Blair, British Prime Minister
The election of President Bush is an event of genuine significance right around the world. It is of special significance for Britain. America and the UK have a unique bond through our shared history and tradition. President Bush's re-election comes at a critical time. A world that is fractured and uncertain must be brought together. The need to revitalise the Middle East peace process is the single most pressing political challenge in our world today.
Jacques Chirac, French President
In the name of France and for my own personal part, I would like to express my heartiest congratulations for your re-election. It is in a spirit of dialogue, esteem and mutual respect that our co-operation must continue to evolve, our common fight against terrorism and the joint actions which we are engaged in to promote liberty and democracy must continue to develop. We can only find satisfactory solutions to the numerous challenges with which we are confronted today through a close transatlantic partnership.
Hu Jintao, Chinese President
Both China and the United States are great countries and share a wide range of common interests and basis for co-operation. I look forward to continuing to work together with you to further promote the development of the constructive co-operative relations between China and the United States.
Gerhard Schroeder, German Chancellor
The world stands before great challenges at the beginning of your second term: international terrorism, the danger of weapons of mass destruction, regional crises - but also poverty, climate change and epidemics threaten our security and stability. These challenges can only be mastered together.
I will continue the good and close co-operation that we have. This is in the interests of the United States as well as those of Germany and Europe.
Javier Solana, EU foreign affairs chief
Together, Europe and the United States face many critical challenges in the years ahead. As in the past, our best hope for success lies in common action.
Jan Peter Balkenende, Dutch Prime Minister and EU President
The United States and the European Union are linked by strong cultural, economic and political ties, and by our shared values. This makes us each other's natural and indispensable partners.
Vladimir Putin, Russian President
I've known Mr Bush for four years as a rational and persistent man.
I think international terrorism had a goal of frustrating Mr Bush's victory in the election, and Bin Laden's statement in the final phase of the US presidential race showed it in bold relief. I can only feel joy that the American people did not allow ithemelves to be intimidated, and made the most sensible decision.
Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian President
I am pleased to congratulate you on your re-election as US president for a second term.
We hope that Mr Bush's new administration, together with the European Union, can bring influence to bear to arrive at a peaceful development in the region.
Mohammed Rashid, aide to Yasser Arafat
President Arafat welcomed Bush's victory and voiced the hope that his new mandate and the confidence placed in him by the American people will give new momentum to the Middle East peace process.
Romano Prodi, European Commission President
My warm congratulations to President Bush on his re-election after a difficult ballot, whose outcome was far from sure. As the country's leader in the most dramatic time of its history, he has had to deal with the horrifying onslaught of terrorism. I hope his second term will see the United States and the whole world enjoy the political stabilisation and the guarantee of collective security we have all done our utmost to ensure.
Vaclav Klaus, Czech President
He symbolises America's best traditions: the love of freedom, optimism, individualism, a liberal economic environment and conservative values that are also close to my heart.
Iyad Allawi, interim Prime Minister of Iraq
Whoever wins will be our friend. The United States liberated us from a dictator from a very long period of war and agony. We will always be grateful to America for what it has done and continues to do.
Silvio Berlusconi, Italian Prime Minister
The continuation of Bush in American politics makes things easier for us.
As for international policy, Bush will continue with the policy that assigns the United States the role of defender and promoter of freedom and democracy.
Ehud Olmert, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister
Mr Kerry would have been a very friendly president to Israel as he proved to be for a long time in the Senate. Now that Mr Bush is elected, we are very happy and we congratulate the American people for their choice.
Alexander Downer, Australian Foreign Minister
From our point of view, the Bush administration is a known quantity.
We've had a very good relationship with them the last four years. I'm sure we'll be able to keep building on that over the next four. But, look, frankly, if Senator Kerry somehow miraculously comes through here or if in any case he had been elected, we would have worked pretty well with them as well.
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spanish Prime Minister
I would like to express the desire of the Spanish government to contribute to a relationship based on efficient and constructive co-operation with the government of the United States, with President Bush.
Moody Awori, Kenyan Vice-President
I am a little bit apprehensive because the first term of Bush, he had come in as a lame duck.
Now it appears as if he is winning very convincingly. To me, I think we are going to see more dictatorship on an international scale. We are going to see more extremism come out of there. We are going to see even more isolationism where America will not bother about the United Nations. To me that is a very sad affair.
Aleksander Kwasniewski, Polish President
From the point of view of Poland's interests, further co-operation with George W Bush is good news. I hope that this will also mean increased activity in bilateral affairs, as they lacked sufficient engagement.
Jesus Perez, Venezuelan Foreign Minister
We will hope that in this second mandate we can improve our relations.
We are dancing the tango. When you are dancing the tango and your toe is stepped on, hurting your toe, you complain. If it is stepped on harder, you complain again. There's a whole game, but we are prepared to continue dancing the tango.
Junichiro Koizumi, Japanese Prime Minister
It seems that a close race is continuing as expected. Regardless of which candidate wins, I think there will basically be no change in the recognition of friendship between Japan and the United States.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Danish Prime Minister
We need a United States that involves all its allies and partners more closely ... We will not uproot terrorism before we have peace between Israel and the Palestinians. It is obvious that the United States is a divided country and I believe that Bush will take initiatives to heal the wounds.
Leila Shahid, Palestinian envoy to Paris
I think that, like all Palestinians, is waiting to see what President Bush is going to do to revert to a policy of peace rather than a policy of war. I am worried because President Bush has for four years been in charge of the American administration that has conducted a policy of war more than a policy of peace and which decided to put the peace process in a freezer for the last four years.
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