Japan PM Abe recalls first meeting with Trump, says ‘developed deep relationship of trust’

Japan’s outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that he developed a “relationship of trust” with US President Donald Trump when they first met in New York. Thanking the US President for his “kind words” after a telephonic conversation, Abe said that his partnership with Trump has made the Japan-U.S. relations more robust than ever before. 

Trump held a telephonic conversation with Abe on August 31 after Japan PM announced his resignation due to health concerns. Taking to Twitter, the US President said that Abe will be recognised as the “greatest Prime Minister in the history of Japan”, adding that the relations between the two countries under his leadership is the best. 

Replying to Trump’s tweet, the 65-year-old Japanese leader said that his friendship and trust with “you, Donald, means so much.” He said that the partnership of the two leaders has made the Japan-U.S. relations more robust than ever before.

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Search for successor

Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister announced his resignation on August 28 due to his deteriorating health condition after he suffered a relapse of ulcerative colitis. The intestinal disease had caused trouble to the outgoing PM in the past as he had to resign during his first term as prime minister in 2007.

Abe would stay until his party decides on the successor but the LDP leader has declined to endorse any possible candidate, stressing that he should not push his preference on the party. However, the 65-year-old said that he would like to see someone on the prime ministerial position with a strong vision, sense of responsibility and passion.

Several names for the possible successor started doing rounds in the local media after Abe’s resignation announcement, which includes Deputy PM Taro Aso, chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga, Defense Minister Taro Kono, and Abe’s critic Shigeru Ishiba among others. While 79-year-old Aso has long been considered as Abe’s successor, he announced that he will not stand in party elections

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