Trump called Shinzo Abe the greatest prime minister in Japanese history. (File)
Tokyo:
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has told US President Donald Trump that the strengthening of their two-nation alliance will be sustained even after Abe’s departure, a Japanese government spokesperson said on Monday.
Abe announced on Friday that he was resigning due to health concerns, his long-standing battle with ulcerative colitis ending his tenure as Prime Minister of Japan.
“He wants President Trump to be reassured, because the policy of strengthening the Japan-US alliance will remain unchanged,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Akihiro Nishimura said.
Nishimura spoke to reporters after a 30-minute phone call between Abe and Trump early Monday in Japan. Trump called Abe the “greatest prime minister in Japanese history,” according to a White House spokesperson.
Abe told Trump that Japan is keen to cooperate closely with the United States in developing a new missile defense strategy, Nishimura said.
In July, Japan took a step toward acquiring weapons that can strike North Korea, after a ruling party committee approved proposals to consider acquiring a strike capability to stop them. ballistic missile attacks.
White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement that Trump told Abe that he had done a “fantastic job” and that the relationship between their two countries was stronger than it was. has never been.
“The president called Prime Minister Abe the greatest prime minister in Japanese history,” Deere said.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will vote on September 14 for a new leader to succeed Abe, Jiji News Agency reported.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
