NATO

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he's looking forward to working with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and that U.S. leadership is vital to the world's biggest military alliance.

Stoltenberg said Wednesday that "it is important that the trans-Atlantic bond remains strong" and that "U.S. leadership is as important as ever."

Trump has criticized many allies for not paying their fair share of the NATO budget.

Stoltenberg said he looks forward to welcoming Trump at next spring's NATO summit, to be held in the alliance's sprawling new premises in Brussels.

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is ready to try to restore good relations with the United States in the wake of the election of Donald Trump.

Putin said Wednesday at a ceremony accepting the credentials of new ambassadors that "we aware that it is a difficult path, in view of the unfortunate degradation of relations between the Russian Federation and the United States."

Putin also said: "It is not our fault that Russian-American relations are in such a state."

Earlier, the Kremlin said Putin sent Trump a telegram of congratulations, expressing "his hope to work together for removing Russian-American relations from their crisis state."

Putin also said ties between Moscow and Washington must be "based on principles of equality, mutual respect and a real accounting [of] each other's positions."

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said the election of Trump as U.S. president offers an opportunity to repair ties between Moscow and Washington.

The Interfax news agency reported Gorbachev said that "maybe [Trump] will understand that a lot depends on the position of Russia."

Speaking Wednesday from a hospital bed, Gorbachev said that "under a new president of the U.S., the Russian-American relationship could get significantly better. I am convinced it is essential now to go straight into a two-way dialogue on the highest level."

The 85-year-old Gorbachev was admitted to the hospital for what Russian media reported was a planned pacemaker.

Russia's lower house of parliament is applauding the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president.

According to state news agency RIA-Novosti, Vyacheslav Novikov, a member of the foreign affairs committee from the governing United Russia party, addressed the State Duma on Wednesday morning.

Novikov said that "three minutes ago, Hillary Clinton acknowledged her defeat in the U.S. presidential elections and just a second ago, Trump began his speech as president-elect. I congratulate all of you on this."

The chamber then broke into applause.

China

Chinese President Xi Jinping has conveyed his congratulations to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying he looked forward to working with Trump on promoting ties in a "constructive" way that avoids conflict and confrontation.

During his campaign, Trump accused China of illegally subsidizing exports, manipulating its currency and stealing intellectual property.

State broadcaster CCTV reported Wednesday that Xi said the two biggest economies in the world shared common interests and shouldered a "special and important responsibility in upholding world peace."

Xi said: "I highly value China-U.S. relations and am looking forward to working with you to expand cooperation in all fields, including in bilateral, regional and global aspects." He said he expects they would "manage differences in a constructive way, in the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, cooperation and win- win."

China's government said Beijing hopes to work with the new U.S. administration to build sustainable ties and expressed confidence the two countries can handle trade disputes maturely.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday that China is "looking forward to making concerted efforts with the new U.S. government to ensure the sustainable, steady and sound development of bilateral relations" to benefit both countries' people and the world.

Asked about U.S. voters' anger about economic losses blamed on Chinese exports, Lu said only that the two countries had established ways to deal with trade disputes. "As mature, large countries, China and the U.S. are able to handle such issues," Lu said.

Slovenia

The president of Slovenia — a small Alpine nation that is the home country of future U.S. first lady Melania Trump — said he hopes relations with the U.S. will further improve during Donald Trump's presidency.

"We are allied as part of NATO and I will strive for the friendship and the alliance to deepen further," Boris Pahor said Wednesday. "American people have the right to decide on their leader."

Prime Minister Miro Cerar also congratulated the Trumps in a Twitter message.

The residents of Melania Trump's hometown in Slovenia are hoping the future U.S. first lady will come to visit together with her husband.

U.S. flags could be seen in the industrial town of Sevnica on Wednesday as the news came in of Trump winning the U.S. presidency.

Sevnica Mayor Srecko Ocvirk said he doesn't expect Melania Trump to come any time soon but "I expect her to visit Sevnica later."

Melania Trump's childhood neighbor, Mirjana Jelancic, said she is happy for her friend. "It was part of her dreams and we are happy if she succeeds."

Melania Trump, 46, was born Melanija Knavs in Sevnica. She left Slovenia in her 20s to pursue an international modelling career.

Bosnia

Bosnia is divided over Donald Trump's presidential victory in the U.S., with the country's Serbs welcoming it while Muslim Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats are disappointed with Hillary Clinton's defeat.

The division is mainly based on the role former U.S. President Bill Clinton's administration had in ending Bosnia's devastating 1992-95 war, which took mor than 100,000 lives and included a four-year siege of Sarajevo.

U.S.-led NATO airstrikes against the Serb artillery pounded the capital, and a peace agreement brokered by American negotiators finally ended the war.

Vitomir Blagojevic, a Bosnian Serb from Pale, said he had a very good opinion of Trump. "I am really glad that he won."

But in Sarajevo, Kemal Hadzibegic, a Muslim Bosniak, described Trump as "raw."

"We were in favor of Clinton," he said. "We trusted her more. This is a real surprise for us, but also for everyone else."

The Netherlands

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said in a reaction to Donald Trump's U.S. presidential win: "We will judge him on his actions."

Koenders, of the center-left Labor Party, said that during the U.S. campaign "Trump made statements that were at odds with how we like to see our society and world order." He cited examples including Trump's comments about U.S. relationships with NATO, Russia and the European Union.

But the Dutch minister also said it's important for the Netherlands' close relationship with the United States to continue for economic and geopolitical reasons. "We are facing global challenges such as climate change and the fight against terrorism."

Dutch anti-Islam populist lawmaker Geert Wilders tweeted his congratulations to Trump.

Wilders, whose Freedom Party is riding high in opinion polls ahead of Dutch elections due in March, called Trump's win in the presidential election: "A historic victory! A revolution." Looking ahead to the Dutch vote, Wilders finished his tweet: "We also will give our country back to the people of the Netherlands."

Wilders is known for his strident anti-Islam rhetoric and opposition to the Netherlands' European Union membership.

Mexico

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is congratulating the U.S. on its election — though not directly winner Donald Trump, who alarmed many by describing Mexican migrants as murderers and rapists.

Pena Nieto has sent a series of tweets repeating his readiness to work with Trump "in favor of the bilateral relationship." He says Mexico and the U.S. "are friends, partners and allies who should continue collaborating for the competitiveness and development of North America."

The value of Mexico's peso currency plunged sharply after the election of Trump, who has denounced the North American Free Trade Agreement that has led to billions of dollars in trade between the two nations.

Mexican Treasury Secretary Jose Antonio Meade held a news conference Wednesday morning, urging against "premature reactions." He said the election result won't immediately affect trade and said Mexico "is in a position of strength" to face whatever may come.

Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has congratulated businessman Donald Trump on being elected U.S. president, calling his win "historic."

Sharif, a businessman himself, praised Trump's commitment to free enterprise.

The Pakistani leader said Wednesday that Trump's election "is indeed the triumph of the American people and their enduring faith in the ideals of democracy, freedom, human rights and free enterprise."

Czech Republic

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said Americans have voted for a change in a democratic ballot and said in a tweet that "we respect that and take it pragmatically."

Sobotka noted one thing about President-elect Donald Trump's election, saying that "unlike some of his predecessors, Trump at least knows where the Czech Republic is located."

Trump's first wife, Ivana, is of Czech origin.

Baltic region

Despite being worried about an increased Russian military presence, the Baltic nations are still congratulating America's next president, Donald Trump.

Tensions grew during the U.S. presidential election campaign when Trump floated the idea that NATO members' defense spending targets would be a prerequisite for the U.S. to defend a NATO ally. That is an abrupt break from longstanding American policy.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said: "The people of the U.S. have made a decision, we will respect their choice ... we trust the United States, as it is our strongest and closest ally."

In neighboring Latvia, President Raimonds Vejonis's office said he is looking forward "to close relations with the new U.S. administration" and that the U.S. would remain a strategic partner and important NATO ally.

The new Estonian president, Kersti Kaljulaid, congratulated Trump, saying the United States "has been, and will also continue to be one of Estonia's most important allies."

Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has offered President-elect Donald Trump "close cooperation" on the basis of shared trans-Atlantic values that she says include respect for human dignity regardless of people's origin, gender or religion.

Merkel told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that the campaign which ended in Trump's victory featured "confrontations that were difficult to bear."

Merkel stressed Germany's close historical connection with the United States. She said: "Germany and America are connected by values: democracy, freedom, respect for the law and for the dignity of human beings, independently of origin, skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political views."

She added: "On the basis of these values, I am offering the future president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, close cooperation."

She said the partnership with the U.S. "is a foundation stone of German foreign policy."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the outcome of the U.S. presidential election is "different than most people in Germany would have wanted, but of course we have to respect it."

He said that Donald Trump's victory means "nothing is going to get easier. A lot will get harder."

But he told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that it was important to maintain good trans-Atlantic relations, which he likened to "the foundations of the West."

The leaders of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which campaigns against Merkel's refugee policy, have welcomed Trump's presidential victory.

Party co-leader Frauke Petry said "it was high time that people disenfranchised by the political establishment get their voice back in the United States of America, too."

Petry said Trump's victory offered the chance to "readjust the trans-Atlantic relationship and end the big conflicts in Ukraine and Syria jointly with Russia" and "replace America's hegemonic claims in Europe with cooperation among equals."

Fellow party leader Joerg Meuthen said: "The establishment now has to recognize that you can't rule past the population for long. ... Trump has rightly been rewarded for his bravery in standing up against the system and speaking uncomfortable truths."

International Olympic Committee

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach is offering his congratulations to Donald Trump after his victory in the U.S. presidential election, wishing him "all the best" for his term in office.

Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton comes as Los Angeles is bidding to host the 2024 Olympics. Trump's statements during the campaign about Mexicans, Muslims and building a wall along the Mexican border may not help the California city's Olympic case with some IOC members, who come from all over the world.

Los Angeles is competing against Paris and Budapest, Hungary. The IOC will select the host city in September 2017.

Italy

Italy's premier has offered his congratulations to Donald Trump, brushing aside political differences, following his repeated public endorsements of Hillary Clinton.

Premier Matteo Renzi said Wednesday: "In the name of Italy, I congratulate the president of the United States and wish him well in his work, convinced that the Italian-American friendship remains strong and solid."

Renzi faces his own political reckoning next month with a constitutional referendum that has mobilized opposition as well as party dissidents against him. A "no" vote is likely to force at least a government shuffling in Italy, if not new elections.

Renzi was in Washington last month for a state visit with President Barack Obama, whom Trump will replace.

Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hopes Donald Trump's election as president marks a new era in the United States that he hopes will lead to "beneficial" steps for fundamental rights, liberties and democracy in the world.

Addressing a business group in Istanbul on Wednesday, Erdogan also said he hopes the election result would be auspicious for the region.

"Personally and on behalf of the nation, I wish to consider this decision by the American people a positive sign and wish them a successful future," Erdogan said.

Turkey's prime minister has called on Trump to extradite a U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen — blamed by Ankara for the failed coup in July — as soon as he is sworn in.

Binali Yildirim also said Wednesday that he hoped that the new leadership in the United States would take into consideration Turkey's "sensitivities concerning the fight against terrorism," give priority to policies that would bring peace and stability to the region, and advance traditional friendship between the two countries.

Ties between the two allies have been strained over perceptions in Turkey that the United States is reluctant to arrest and extradite Gulen.

Turkey's justice minister said a change of presidents in the United States won't make a big difference to the "deep-rooted" relations between the two countries.

Bekiz Bozdag told the state-run Anadolu Agency on Wednesday: "In essence, our relations are relations between two states, and we hope that under the new presidential term the Turkish-U.S. relations will be much better. That is our expectation."

Poland

A spokesman for the Polish president said Poland cares a lot whether U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will implement NATO decisions to deploy military deterrence forces in Poland and the Baltic states.

Marek Magierowski said on state Radio 1 on Wednesday that it is a priority for Poland to see the implementation of a NATO decision to base battalions in the region, including a U.S. armored brigade to be stationed in Poland and the construction of a U.S. missile defense base.

The region is concerned for its security amid Russia's rising military assertiveness.

Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz said he expects ties to be even better under Trump as president.

Marshall Islands

Environmentalists and climate scientists are alarmed over the election of a U.S. president who has called global warming a "hoax."

Donald Trump's win has raised questions about whether America, once again, would pull out of an international climate deal. Many said it's now up to the rest of the world to lead efforts to rein in greenhouse gas emissions, while others held out hope that Trump would change his stance on climate change and honor U.S. commitments under last year's landmark Paris Agreement.

Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine said Wednesday that as "the realities of leadership settle in, I expect he will realize that climate change is a threat to his people and to whole countries which share seas with the U.S."

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said his country will work "as closely as ever" with the United States under Donald Trump's new administration.

"Politicians and governments, congressmen, senators, prime ministers, presidents come and go according to the will of the people of Australia and the United States, but the bond between our two nations, our shared common interests, our shared national interests are so strong, are so committed that we will continue to work with our friends in the United States," he said.

France

The first French presidential candidate to comment on the U.S. election was populist, anti-immigrant politician Marine Le Pen, congratulating Trump even before the final results.

Le Pen, hoping to ride anti-establishment sentiment to victory in April-May French presidential elections, tweeted her support to the "American people, free!"

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said France would continue to work with the new president, whoever wins the final tally, though expressed concern about Trump's lead and said it could hold a cautionary message for Europe.

"We don't want a world where egoism triumphs," Ayrault said on France-2 television Wednesday. France's Socialist government had openly endorsed Hillary Clinton.

French President Francois Hollande said the election of Trump "opens a period of uncertainty. It must be faced with lucidity and clarity."

In brief remarks after the weekly Cabinet meeting, Hollande congratulated Trump "as is natural between two heads of state," but showed little enthusiasm. Hollande had openly endorsed Clinton and said Wednesday he was thinking of her.

Hollande said that "certain positions taken by Donald Trump during the American campaign must be confronted with the values and interests we share with the United States."

"What is at stake is peace, the fight against terrorism, the situation in the Middle East. It is economic relations and the preservation of the planet."

Taliban

The Taliban have called on Donald Trump to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan once he takes office as president.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Wednesday that a Trump administration "should allow Afghans to become a free nation and have relationships with other countries based on non-interference in each other's affairs."

The Afghan conflict is in its 16th year. The Taliban have spread their footprint across Afghanistan in the two years since most international combat troops withdrew.

President Barack Obama expanded U.S. troops' mandate to enable them to work more closely on the battlefield with their Afghan counterparts and to conduct counterterrorism operations against al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and the Taliban.

Kenya

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has sent a message of congratulations to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying: "The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly."

Kenyatta said Wednesday that "the ties that bind Kenya and the United States of America are close and strong. They are old, and based in the values that we hold dear: in democracy, in the rule of law and in the equality of peoples."

Vatican

The Vatican's first reaction to the election of Donald Trump has focused on its wish for global peace.

Pope Francis did not mention the U.S. elections during his Wednesday audience, but secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, offered Trump congratulations in a statement to Vatican Radio that "his government can be truly fruitful."

He added the Vatican offered its prayers "that the Lord illuminates and sustains him in service of his country, naturally, but also in service of the well-being and peace of the world."

Parolin concluded by noting that "there is need for everyone to work to change the global situation, which is in a situation of severe lacerations and great conflict."

Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has congratulated Donald Trump, calling him a "true friend of the State of Israel."

Netanyahu said Wednesday he believes the two leaders "will continue to strengthen the unique alliance between our two countries and bring it to ever greater heights."

Earlier, a key ally in Netanyahu's center-right coalition, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, said Tump's victory means that "the era of a Palestinian state is over." The Palestinians want a state in lands Israel captured in 1967.

Netanyahu has said he is willing to negotiate a border deal, but has retracted offers made by his predecessors while pressing ahead with Jewish settlement expansion on war-won land.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that he hopes "peace will be achieved during his term."

Iran

Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim on Wednesday quoted the country's foreign minister as saying the United States needs to implement its part of multilateral international commitments under last year's historic nuclear deal.

The comments by Mohammad Javad Zarif came after businessman Donald Trump's election as U.S. president.

During the campaign, Trump criticized the deal and suggested he would try to renegotiate it. Zarif was quoted as saying that any U.S. president "should have a correct understanding of realities of the world and our region and face them realistically."

Zarif said America has accepted multilateral international commitments and has to "implement the nuclear deal."

Iraq

The Iraqi government said relations with the United States have a "solid base," and this is not expected to change after Donald Trump's election as president.

Government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Iraq is keen to develop its relations with the U.S. and "boost cooperation in the fight against terrorism."

He noted the leading U.S. role in the current battle to push back Islamic State militants in Iraq's north. Last month, a U.S.-led military coalition launched an operation to retake Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, from ISIS.

South Sudan

A top official in South Sudan has welcomed the election victory of Donald Trump.

South Sudan's Minister of Information and government spokesman Michael Makuei said Trump "will be better after all" for his nation.

"I really doubt President Obama had any clear policy to South Sudan other than to destroy it. So we will definitely expect better relations with Trump ... and the U.S.A. after the election."

Cambodia

Cambodia's long-serving authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen has congratulated Donald Trump on his U.S. presidential election victory.

On his official Facebook page, Hun Sen called Trump "your excellency" and pointed out that he'd announced his support for the Republican candidate several days earlier.

"American voters have shown their choice to elect your excellency. ... My support for your candidacy is not wrong either," he said.

Hun Sen has kept a tight grip on Cambodian politics for three decades by silencing critics with lawsuits, intimidation and other tactics.

European Union

European Union leaders have invited U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to come visit the 28-nation bloc to assess trans-Atlantic ties.

With "sincere congratulations," EU Council President Donald Tusk and his Commission counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker said that, despite Trump's campaign talk of protectionism and isolationism, both sides "should consolidate the bridges we have been building across the Atlantic."

Tusk famously quoted his wife during the U.S. election campaign, saying that "one Donald is more than enough!"

The European Union's foreign policy chief said the trans-Atlantic ties with the United States go beyond the election of Trump.

European leaders have been fearful that Trump would lead an isolationist and protectionist course, undermining the cornerstones of trans-Atlantic cooperation.

Federica Mogherini said Wednesday in a Twitter message that "EU-US ties are deeper than any change in politics. We'll continue to work together, rediscovering the strength of Europe."

EU Parliament President Martin Schulz said the result "must be respected" as he said that Trump "managed to become the standard-bearer of the angst and fears of millions of Americans."

European Union foreign ministers will hold a special meeting Sunday to assess the election of Trump as U.S. president and what it means for trans-Atlantic relations.

The 28 EU foreign ministers are set to meet with foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini for a dinner in Brussels on the eve of a previously scheduled meeting.

Indonesia

Indonesia's President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said his country will work with Donald Trump's new U.S. administration.

"We will keep good relations, especially in trade and investment, as we know the U.S. is one of Indonesia's major investors. I think there will be no change," he said.

But Komaruddin Hidayat, a noted Indonesian Islamic scholar, said Trump's election as U.S. president is "shocking" for many people in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Hidayat, who is also rector of Indonesia's state-run Islamic University, said Trump has signaled backing for ultra-nationalist, isolationist and protectionist policies that could be harmful.

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent his "heartfelt congratulations" to Donald Trump for his election as the next U.S. president.

Abe said that "as a very successful businessman with extraordinary talents, not only you made a great contribution to the growth of the U.S. economy, but now as a strong leader, you have demonstrated your determination to lead the United States."

Abe, in the statement, reminded Trump of the importance of the Asia-Pacific region, saying its peace and stability is "a driving force of the global economy" that also brings peace and prosperity to the U.S.

Internet

While the online reaction to the U.S. election results varried, two events stood out:

Donald Trump's surprise triumph dealt a blow to online betting sites, some of which had paid out winnings prematurely to gamblers backing Hillary Clinton.

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power said it lost about $5.5 million in what the Dublin-based business called its "biggest political payout ever."

Company spokesman Feilim Mac An Iomaire said Wednesday: "We're in the business of making predictions and decided to put our neck on the line by paying out early on Hillary Clinton, but boy did we get it wrong. We've been well and truly thumped by Trump."

Canada and the prospect of Americans moving there appears to have drawn so much online interest that it has knocked out the country's immigration website.

Searches for "move to Canada" and "immigrate to Canada" spiked Tuesday night as election returns favored Trump. "Canada" was a leading U.S. trend on Twitter, with more than 1 million tweets.

While much of the chatter was clearly tongue-in-cheek, the website for Citizenship and Immigration Canada was down at the same time. Agency officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Britain

British Prime Minister Theresa May has congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying the two countries will remain "strong and close partners on trade, security and defense."

In a statement, May said Trump had won after "a hard-fought campaign."

May, who took office after British voters delivered a shock to the establishment by deciding to leave the European Union, declined to comment on rival candidates Trump and Hillary Clinton while the U.S. race was on.

On Wednesday, she stressed the enduring trans-Atlantic "special relationship, based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise."

Egypt

Egypt's president has congratulated Donald Trump on winning the U.S. presidential election, saying Cairo wants to see more "cooperation and coordination" between the two nations to bolster stability and peace in the Middle East.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi telephoned Trump to offer his congratulations. He also invited the next U.S. president to visit Egypt.

Cairo receives more than $1 billion annually in U.S. military and economic aid under an assistance program that began in the 1970s to reward Egypt for signing a peace treaty with Israel.

Malaysia

Malaysia's prime minister has congratulated Donald Trump on his "extraordinary victory," saying his success showed that politicians should never take voters for granted.

Najib Razak is a possible beneficiary of what could be an inward-looking U.S. under a Trump presidency. He is embroiled in a scandal over the alleged theft by his associates of several billion dollars from a state investment fund. A U.S. Justice Department probe has linked Najib to the embezzlement.

Najib said opinion polls and established political figures all underestimated the strength of Trump's support.

Ireland

Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. election is being viewed with shock and revulsion in Ireland.

The country is close to the Clintons and fearful of Trump's campaign pledge to confront U.S. companies using Ireland as a tax shelter.

The Irish Times branded the New York businessman a "misogynistic racist liar" who would fan instability overseas and intolerance at home.

Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole wrote Wednesday: "The republic of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt is now the United Hates of America."

"President Trump is the creation of the same demographic that gave Europe its far- right authoritarian movements with such disastrous consequences for the world," he wrote.

India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Donald Trump in a message posted on Twitter. Modi tweeted that "we appreciate the friendship you have articulated toward India during your campaign."

Trump had reached out to Indian-American voters at a rally in New Jersey in mid- October, praising Modi and vowing to defeat terrorism.

In the Indian capital Wednesday, some from right-wing Hindu nationalist group Hindu Sena celebrated Trump's victory at a central protest ground.

The Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has lashed out at U.S. President Barack Obama for criticizing his deadly anti-drug crackdown, has congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Duterte said he looks forward to working with the new American leader to further enhance relations.

Duterte, who took office in June, has had an uneasy relationship with the U.S. The 71-year-old leader has announced his desire to scale back joint combat drills with the U.S. military and end the presence of foreign troops, including Americans, in the country in two years.

Hungary

Hungary's prime minister said Donald Trump's victory is "great news" and shows "democracy is still alive."

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been often criticized by the United States, including by Hillary Clinton when she was secretary of state, for weakening the democratic system of checks and balances. Orban offered his congratulations to Trump on his Facebook page.

Orban, who returned to power in 2010 and last year built fences on Hungary's southern borders to stop the flow of migrants heading toward Western Europe, said in July that Trump's immigration policies made him the best candidate for Hungary and Europe.

Palestine

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement that he "congratulates the elected American president, Donald Trump, and hopes that peace will be achieved during his term."

An Abbas aide, Saeb Erekat, said Wednesday he doesn't expect U.S. positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to change under Trump.

Erekat said the Republican and Democratic parties are both committed to a two-state solution of the conflict and "I think this will not change with the coming administration."

The Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967. Gaps between Abbas and Israel's hawkish leader on any border deal remain wide.

Cuba

News of Trump's widening lead hit hard in Cuba, which has spent the last two years negotiating normalization with the United States after more than 50 years of Cold War hostility.

Normalization has set off a tourism boom in Cuba and visits by hundreds of executives from the U.S. and dozens of other nations newly interested in doing business on the island. Trump has promised to reverse U.S. President Barack Obama's opening with Cuba unless Cuban President Raul Castro agrees to more political freedom on the island, a concession considered a virtual impossibility.

Speaking of Cuba's leaders, Communist Party member and noted economist and political scientist Esteban Morales told the Telesur network that "they must be worried because I think this represents a new chapter."

Carlos Alzugaray, a political scientist and retired Cuban diplomat, said a Trump victory could, however, please some hard-liners in the Cuban leadership who worried that Cuba was moving too close to the United States too quickly.

Nigeria

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on his victory and the American people for their democracy.

Lagos-based SBM Intelligence risk analysts say the uncertainty generated by Trump's win should be good for Nigeria, the African oil giant, since it will weaken the U.S. dollar.

Not everyone in Nigeria embraced Trump. At an election watch party organized by the U.S. Embassy in Lagos, Nigerian artist Nike Davies-Okundaye called Hillary Clinton "my hero." Oby Ezekwesili, a founder of the Bring Back Our Girls movement for schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram, also praised Clinton and said: "I can't wait for my friend to be in the White House."

As Clinton's loss became apparent, people pulled down the red, blue and white balloons and began popping them in disappointment.