KATHMANDU: President of the All India National Congress Sonia Gandhi has said that the Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala was a patriarch of the Nepali democratic movement.

Sending a condolence message to Deputy Prime Minister and late Koirala’s daughter Sujata Koirala, Gandhi added that GP Koirala will always be remembered as a special friend of India and a strong advocate of greater understanding between Nepal and India and shared heritage.

In her message, Gandhi recalled Koirala’s special relations with the late Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. “They had a special place in their hearts for Koirala and they respected Koirala’s courage of conviction and abiding commitment to a democratic Nepal,” Gandhi said. She added that a person of his eminence and stature will be deeply missed by the people of Nepal at this crucial phase of history.

Gandhi further said that future generations of Nepal and the entire South Asian region will fondly remember his notable contributions.

Similarly, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, in a message to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, extended condolences and sympathy over the demise of Koirala. Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada also extended condolence to Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala.