Merkel Congratulates Suga On Winning Japan's Premiership

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday congratulated Yoshihide Suga on becoming Japan's new prime minister and expressed hope for further development of bilateral relations

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th September, 2020) German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday congratulated Yoshihide Suga on becoming Japan's new prime minister and expressed hope for further development of bilateral relations.

"You have been participating in shaping Japanese policy for many years and thus building close and friendly relations between our countries. German-Japanese relations have become larger and deeper in recent years. Along with political and economic cooperation, numerous personal contacts and initiatives of civil society are especially valuable," Merkel said in a greeting telegram, as quoted by her press service.

She added that she looks forward to jointly working with Tokyo to promote friendship between the German and Japanese peoples and their common values and interests.

Earlier in the day, Suga, the leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was officially confirmed as the new prime minister, replacing Shinzo Abe, who stepped down over health issues.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has also joined the world leaders in congratulating Suga on becoming the new prime minister of Japan. According to Moon, South Korea is always ready for dialogue and communication with the Japanese government, which "shares key values and strategic interests with South Korea."

The South Korean leader also sent a separate letter to Abe, noting the efforts of the former Japanese prime minister to improve relations between Seoul and Tokyo and wishing him a speedy recovery.