Foreign leaders offer well wishes to Biden after projected win

Washington — Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s projected win of the White House brought a wave of congratulatory messages from foreign leaders who projected optimism about the U.S. working together with their respective nations under the new administration.

Biden and Harris were projected the winners of the presidential race Saturday morning, as Biden cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to deny President Trump a second term.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered congratulations to both the president-elect and vice-presidential elect.

“Our two countries are close friends, partners, and allies. We share a relationship that’s unique on the world stage. I’m really looking forward to working together and building on that with you both,” he tweeted.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson noted Harris’ shattering of barriers as the nation’s first woman vice president and first Black woman vice president.

“The U.S. is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security,” Johnson said in a statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron urged “let’s work together!”

“The Americans have chosen their President. Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! We have a lot to do to overcome today’s challenges,” he tweeted.

Angela Merkel, German chancellor, said in a statement posted to Twitter, “the American people have made their decision.”

“I look forward to working with President Biden,” she said. “Our transatlantic friendship is indispensable if we are to deal with the major challenges of our time.”

Michael Higgins, president of Ireland, also congratulated Biden and Harris, noting Harris’s “historic achievement” as the first woman and first woman of color elected vice president.

“The bonds between the peoples of Ireland and the United States are close and strong, and I look forward to our two countries working together to rebuild the much-needed trust in the methods and institutions of national and international solidarity and cooperation,” Higgins said in a statement.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis projected optimism about the state of the relationship between the U.S. and Greece under a Biden administration.

“Joe Biden has been a true friend of Greece and I’m certain that under his presidency the relationship between our countries will grow even stronger,” he tweeted.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo congratulated Biden and said the record turnout is indicative of the state of American democracy.

“A record number of people have cast their vote in this election. This illustrates the vibrancy of the American political life and its democracy,” he tweeted.

CBS News projected Saturday morning that Biden had won Pennsylvania, giving him 270 Electoral College votes, although several other states have yet to be called. His victory brings an end to a bitter presidential campaign that was roiled by the coronavirus pandemic. Mr. Trump’s campaign, however, has mounted several legal efforts in an attempt to challenge the results, though it’s unlikely those battles will be enough to alter the outcome.