More countries and international organizations have, by various means, offered their condolences and aid over a massive earthquake that hit southwestern China last Monday.

Founding President of Namibia Sam Nujoma sent a message to Chinese President Hu Jintao to express "our deepest sympathy and condolences to the entire people of China and to the families whose loved ones have perished in the devastating earthquake."

Abbas El Fassi, secretary general of Morocco's Party of Istiqlal and prime minister of Morocco, offered deepest condolences and sincerest sympathy and expressed the hope the Chinese people will overcome any difficulties.

Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghf, president of the National Pact for Democracy and Development of Mauritania, said the people of Mauritania stand by the people of China in overcoming the difficulties.

Jeremie Ngendakumana, chairman of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy -- Forces for the Defense of Democracy in Burundi, offered firm support for the Chinese people's disaster relief efforts.

Francois Ngarambe, general secretary of the Rwandese Patriotic Front, expressed the belief that the people of China will achieve a final victory over this disaster, as they did at times of difficulty in the past.

Evariste Boshab, secretary general of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the party stood together with China in grief and expressed the deepest condolences.

Keo Puth Reasmey, chairman of Cambodia's Funcinpec Party, wished the people of China a complete victory in the disaster relief efforts and greater achievement in reconstruction.

The Central Committee of the Cambodian People's Party, offered sincere condolences to the people of China, especially the families of the earthquake victims.

D. Dovlatzoda, first deputy chairman of the People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan, expressed the belief that the Chinese people will achieve a victory over the massive earthquake.

Those who expressed condolences also included:

Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the Japanese Social Democratic Party;

Bunmei Ibuki, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP);

Sanjaasuren Oyun, chairwoman of the Citizens Will Party of Mongolia and foreign minister of Mongolia;

Petro Symonenko, first secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine;

Gagik Tsarukyan, chairman of Armenia's "Prosperous Armenia" party;

Vojtech Filip, chairman of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia;

Yousef Al Faisal of the Syrian Communist Party;

Nepali Congress senior leader Deuba;

Narayan Man Bijukchhen, chairman of the Nepal Workers and Peasants' Party;

Tomislav Nikolic, first vice chairman of the Serbian Radical Party;

Somawansa Amarasinghe, leader of the People's Liberation Front of Sri Lanka;

The Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party;

Fernando Remirez de Estenoz, member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee and head of the International Relations Department of the Communist Party of Cuba.

Luis Ayala, secretary general of Socialist International;

Filipe Paunde, secretary general of Mozambique's Frelimo Party;

Mirtha Quevedo Acalinovic, chairman of the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement of Bolivia;

Mariano Assanami Sabino, secretary general of the Partido Democratico of Timor-Leste;

Werner Hoyer, vice chairman of the Free Democratic Party of Germany Parliamentary Group;

Jose Luis Centella, international secretary of the Communist Party of Spain;

Prakash Mandotia, national convener of the Foreign Department of India's Nationalist Congress Party;

Helmut Scholz, international secretary of the Left Party of Germany;

Salah Goudjil, external relations secretary of Algeria's National Liberation Front;

The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party of Maldives;

The Movement for Peace and People's Sovereignty of Cuba;

The Vietnam Peace Committee;

The Korea National Strategy Institute;

The Bangladesh-China People's Friendship Association;

The Germany Friedrich Ebert Foundation;

The Kazankai Foundation of Japan;

Belpo-kai (Social Training Association) Japan.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2008)