Trump and Abe, who were special in “He’s a Special Man,” are the first to say goodbye.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who resigned due to health problems, spoke with US President Donald Trump by phone on the 31st. This is Prime Minister Abe’s first official call to foreign leaders after the announcement. of his resignation on the 28th.

A commemorative photo taken by US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Abe after a round of golf at a golf course in Mobara City, Chiba prefecture, Japan, on May 26, 2019. [일본 총리관저 트위터]

According to Japanese media such as NHK, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a regular press conference that Prime Minister Abe had phone conversations with President Trump for about 30 minutes starting at 10 a.m.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Abe explained to President Trump that he had resigned during his term because the recurrence of ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease, was confirmed and President Trump is known to have passed on the meaning of “I’m sorry.”

Prime Minister Abe also expressed his gratitude for the unprecedented strengthening of relations between the United States and Japan based on his deep trust with President Trump, emphasizing that the new prime minister who succeeded him will also strive to strengthen the alliance between states. States and Japan.

The two also shared opinions on the issue of North Korea’s kidnapping and response to the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19), Secretary Suga said.

After speaking with Prime Minister Abe that day, President Trump announced on Twitter that “I just had a wonderful conversation with my friend, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.” “Shinzo will soon be recognized as the best prime minister in the history of Japan, whose relationship with the United States has been the best of all,” he added, adding, “Special man!”

President Trump and Prime Minister Abe have been calling each other by names like “Shinzo” and “Donald” to express their closeness. Since President Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, he has held a whopping 14 face-to-face summits in three and a half years, and has officially conducted 37 telephone inquiries.

At each summit, they visited famous golf courses in the United States and Japan to enjoy golf together.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump shake hands and discuss President Trump’s daughter Ivanka at a special session of the G20 Summit held in Osaka, Japan, on June 29. from last year. [교도=연합뉴스]

However, there are mixed assessments as to whether the ‘Be-Trump union’ really had a positive effect on bilateral relations.

Washington Post (WP) diplomatic and security columnist David Ignatius said in a column titled ‘Abe was a better ally than we think’ on the 30th, “Abe is the best in the world at managing the anomalous behavior of the President Trump “. He was a successful leader. ”

Prime Minister Abe is said to have led President Trump in a direction that benefited both countries through “Operation Abu,” which was causing many problems with Japan’s trade surplus and defense cost sharing.

On the other hand, Japanese expert columnist William Pesek said in the same newspaper, “Abe sold his political soul to an untrustworthy partner (Trump)” and said that Abe was serious with Trump, but was hit on the back of the neck as a result. . Even in the petition, Trump put Abe in line by withdrawing from the TPP (Pacific Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement). “Abe will probably regret it.”

Reporter Lee Young-hee [email protected]