Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has greatly contributed to strengthening the relations between London and Tokyo, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday as Abe announced his resignation.Earlier in the day, Abe officially announced his plan to step down, citing health issues.
He has already informed the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, of which he is the leader, and Natsuo Yamaguchi, the leader of the Komeito party, which is a part of the ruling coalition.“@AbeShinzo has achieved great things as PM of Japan – for his country and the world. Under his stewardship the UK-Japan relationship has gone from strength to strength in trade, defence and our cultural links.
“Thank you for all your years of service and I wish you good health,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.The retiring prime minister is leaving office due to ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease that already caused him to abandon the premiership in 2007.
Despite those circumstances, he once again assumed the prime minister’s chair in 2012 and went on to become the longest-serving Japanese head of government.
Source:
dpa/NAN
