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| - World leaders paid homage to Sultan Qaboos of Oman, who has died at the age of 79 as a wise and moderate leader and a champion of Arab and Islamic nations. Qaboos, who ruled since 1970 when he deposed his father in a palace coup, had been ill for some time and had been believed to be suffering from colon cancer. His successor, Haitham bin Tariq, has already pledged to maintain the kingdom's non-interference policy that made Oman a vital regional mediator. Here are some of the main tributes by world leaders. Qaboos' death was "a loss for the region", said Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, tweeting in Arabic. Congratulating Oman on its choice of His Majesty Haitham bin Tariq as his successor, he hoped their relations would continue to grow. Qaboos led Oman "on a path of progress and advancement and managed with great wisdom and sophistication to create a distinguished place for the country among Arab states" said Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. Oman is the only Gulf Cooperation Council member state to have maintained diplomatic relations with Damascus since the start of the war. Iraqi President Barham Saleh paid tribute to the late sultan's "moderation and wisdom and the ability to control differences in the interest of the development and progress of our countries and region". "With loss of Sultan Qaboos, the Arab world loses a man of dialogue, wisdom and peace," Lebanon's President Michel Aoun wrote on Twitter, paying tribute to "a brother and a friend to Lebanon". Qaboos "always worked towards Arab unity and the strengthening of (Arab) solidarity -- in the face of the challenges that threaten our countries and peoples". "The Gulf, Arab and Islamic nations lost a very important figure and leader," said Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. The leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar also offered their condolences. "We have lost a wise leader in my brother His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman," said a statement from King Abdullah II of Jordan on Twitter. He paid tribute to his role "defending Arab and Islamic causes". Qaboos was "a constant supporter of Arab and Islamic issues in various situations, and the pioneer of Oman's renaissance", wrote Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. "Our Arab and Islamic nation lost today, a leader and leader of its finest men," said Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Qaboos "devoted his life to serving his country and people and the issues of the Arab and Islamic nations with wisdom and balance," he added. "He was an exceptionally wise and respected leader who will be missed enormously," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. "He will be remembered for his devotion to the development of Oman into a stable and prosperous nation, and as the father of the nation who sought to improve the lives of the Omani people." "He was a stable force in the Middle East and a strong US ally," said former US president George W. Bush in his tribute to Qaboos. "His Majesty had a vision for a modern, prosperous, and peaceful Oman, and he willed that vision into reality." bur/jj/pvh
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