Scores of foreign political parties and organizations Wednesday sent messages of condolences to Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and CPC Central Committee, following the major earthquake that jolted China's southwestern Sichuan province Monday.

Japan's New Komeito Party Leader Akihiro Ota said in the condolence message that his party would work with the Japanese government to provide assistance to China. He hoped that the Chinese people would overcome difficulties and complete the work of reconstruction at an early date.

Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa said in the message that as a friend of the CPC, the party would go all out to cooperate with China. He hoped that China would stride forward to hosting the Beijing Olympic Games successfully.

Gennady Zyuganov, chairman of the Central Committee of Communist Party of the Russian Federation, said the party would share weal and woe with the Chinese people and was confident that China would overcome this natural disaster.

Pakistan Muslim League President Chaudhry Shujat Hussain and Secretary- General Mushahid Hussain said that the league and the Palestinians would always side with the CPC and the Chinese people. They hoped that the Chinese people would pull themselves together and devote themselves to the disaster relief and reconstruction work.

Greek Communist Party Secretary-General Alexandra Papariga said the party was ready to offer assistance to China.

Srdan Milic, president of the Socialist People's Party of Montenegro, expressed condolences to the victims of the devastating earthquake and sent his sincere sympathy to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao.

Prakash Karat, general-secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said they have been shocked at the magnitude of the earthquake affecting Sichuan province and surrounding areas and are deeply grieved at the loss of thousands of lives, injuries to many and destruction of property.

Karat conveyed sincere condolences on this grievous loss of precious lives and expressed solidarity with the people and the government of China in their endeavors to provide assistance to all those who are affected by the earthquake.

The Working People's Progressive Party of Cyprus said they were deeply moved by the severe catastrophe and expressed condolences to the victims of the quake.

Raja Muhammad Zafar-ul-Haq, chairman of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Qazi Hussain Ahmad, chairman of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Hiromu Nonaka, former secretary-general of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party, Kazuo Shii, leader of the Communist Party of Japan, Park Keun-hae, former chief of the Grand National Party of South Korea, as well as leaders from Spain's Popular Party and Italian Democratic Party also extended their sympathy to China.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2008)