World leaders hail Gilani

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown offered Pakistan's new premier Yousuf Raza Gilani his "full support" Tuesday after he was sworn in by President Pervez Musharraf. "I congratulate him and look forward to working closely with him on our shared agenda," Brown said in a statement released by his Downing Street office.
"The new government will face many challenges and the UK stands ready to assist Gilani and his government in meeting them. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh greeted Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on assuming the office of Prime Minister of Pakistan. According to foreign office, the Indian Prime Minister in his message to Gilani said: "I re-affirm the government of India's commitment to strengthening friendship and cooperation with Pakistan."
He said: "We see a stable, prosperous and democratic Pakistan as being in the interest of India and the region." The Indian Prime Minister said: "There is a strong public sentiment in both our countries in favour of accelerating the peace process and establishing a co-operative framework for our bilateral relations." "There is a common desire to establish a neighbourhood of peace and progress based on greater linkages between our two people, trust and mutual understanding," said Manmohan.
Manmohan further said: "Leading personalities of the coalition that will form your government have been strong advocates of friendly ties between our two countries and have made important contributions to the peace process."
He said: "I hope very much that we can build upon the progress already achieved and work expeditiously, though the dialogue process, towards agreed solutions of pending issues." The Indian Prime Minister said: "We have an opportunity to transform our relationship into a close, co-operative and mutually beneficial partnership that should be normal between neighbours like India and Pakistan. I look forward to working closely with you towards an objective that I am confident you share."
Meanwhile, The German government welcomed the swearing-in of Pakistan's new Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday and urged him to pursue democratic reforms.
"The government hopes that the new prime minister ensures the strengthening of democracy, the consolidation of economic reforms and the struggle against poverty and terrorism in all forms," Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger said at a regular government news conference. Jaeger also welcomed one of Gilani's first acts as Prime Minister, the release of deposed judges.
AN ANOTHER REPORT FROM KABUL ADDS: Afghanistan said Tuesday it hoped the election of a new government and prime minister in Pakistan would lead to closer co-operation in efforts to fight extremism plaguing both countries. President Hamid Karzai issued a statement congratulating Yousuf Raza Gilani who was sworn in by President Pervez Musharraf Tuesday.
Karzai "deemed terrorism and extremism a serious problem against stability and development in the region and hoped the new Pakistan parliament and prime minister achieve huge success against this destructive phenomenon," it said. The president also wanted relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan - both key allies in the United States' so-called "war on terror" - to expand under Gilani, the statement said.
Ties between the neighbours are fragile with both accusing each other of not doing enough to tackle militants behind a wave of violence on both sides of the border. The Afghan defence ministry said separately that the election showed people in Pakistan "are weary of extremism."
It also "in part promises a new development in regional co-operation on the war on terrorism," it said. The appointment of Pakistan's new prime minister marks an "important step" for democracy in the volatile country, the European Union's Slovenian presidency said Tuesday.
"The appointment of the prime minister is an important step in the development of democracy, stability and security in Pakistan," the presidency said in a statement. In response to the move, the EU's presidency also said it "welcomes the release of judges detained under the recent emergency rule" and that the step "marks a positive move towards the restoration of rule of law in Pakistan."