'Shocked To Hear About It': EAM Jaishankar On Demise Of Gabon's Foreign Minister

The 62-year-old ally of President Ali Bongo Ondimba died "despite efforts by specialists" to revive him, the government said in a brief statement on Friday.

Gabon's Foreign Minister Michael Moussa Adamo And External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (File Photo)

Source : ANI

External affairs minister S Jaishankar offered his condolences on the demise of Gabon's Foreign Minister Michael Moussa Adamo on Saturday.

He stated in a tweet, "Shocked to hear about the demise of Foreign Minister of Gabon and friend of India, Michael Moussa Adamo. Condolences to his family and the Government of Gabon for this untimely loss."

Shocked to hear about the demise of Foreign Minister of Gabon and friend of India, Michael Moussa Adamo.

Condolences to his family and the Government of Gabon for this untimely loss.

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 21, 2023

Last October, Jaishankar met Gabon Foreign Minister Michael Moussa-Adamo on the sidelines of the UN Security Council Special Meeting in New Delhi. Both Ministers agreed to expand bilateral cooperation, including the development partnership. The External Affairs Minister stated that they would collaborate closely in the UN, Commonwealth, and other multilateral forums.

Michael Moussa Adamo Dies Of Cardiac Arrest During Cabinet Meeting: Report

Gabon's Foreign Minister, Michael Moussa Adamo, died of a heart attack at a cabinet meeting, Al-Jazeera reported citing government and presidential sources.

The 62-year-old ally of President Ali Bongo Ondimba died "despite efforts by specialists" to revive him, the government said in a brief statement on Friday, as per the report.

President Bongo called Moussa Adamo a "great diplomat, a true statesman" on Twitter. "He was first and all a friend, loyal and faithful, on whom I could always count on," Bongo said.

Notre ministre des Affaires étrangères, Michael Moussa Adamo, s'en est allé ce jour.
Il était un très grand diplomate, un véritable homme d'Etat.
Pour moi, il était d'abord un ami, loyal et fidèle, sur lequel j'ai toujours pu compter.
C'est une perte immense pour le #Gabon.#RIP

— Ali Bongo Ondimba (@PresidentABO) January 20, 2023

Moussa Adamo was born in the northeastern town of Makokou in 1961. Moussa Adamo began his career as a national television broadcaster and eventually became chief of staff to Bongo as defence minister in 2000.

Moussa Adamo served as Bongo's special adviser after the death of his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, in 2009.

Following a decade as Gabon's ambassador to the United States until 2020, he was appointed first as defence minister and then as foreign minister in March of last year.

(With Inputs From Agencies)