World leaders pay tribute to victims and survivors

World leaders and heads of state including British Queen Elizabeth II paid tribute to victims and survivors of the 9/11 attacks on the 20th anniversary of one of America’s darkest days .

In a message to US President Joe Biden, the British monarch said a 2010 visit to the World Trade Center site remains etched in her memory.

“It reminds me that as we honor those of many nations, faiths and origins who have lost their lives, we also pay tribute to the resilience and determination of the communities who have come together to rebuild,” she said in a statement. communicated.

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Echoing his sentiments, New York-born British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the terrorists had “not shaken our belief in freedom and democracy”.

Across the Channel, French President Emmanuel Macron posted a video of the American flag on Twitter, along with the caption: “We will never forget. We will always fight for freedom.”

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also tweeted that the EU was “alongside the United States in defending freedom and compassion against hatred”.

“Even in the darkest and most trying times, the best of human nature can shine through,” she wrote.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in also expressed his deepest condolences to Biden and the American people, write on twitter that his country would continue to support US efforts to combat terrorism.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also used social media to express his condolences. He tweeted that September 11 is a date in history that “hit mankind” and “taught the world a lot”.

Elsewhere, in a blog post, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the events of that day were “a terrible human tragedy, causing great suffering and sorrow to so many.”

He added that this “reminds us that we can never take our peace, our freedom and our way of life for granted.”

The tributes came as several events took place in the United States to commemorate the 2,977 people who died that day when two planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, crashed into the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center; American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.