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SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday (August 28) that bilateral relations between Singapore and Japan deepened under the leadership of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and wished him a “good recovery.”
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, announced his resignation on Friday, citing health problems.
Abe has battled ulcerative colitis disease for years and recently made two visits to the hospital in a week.
“I am sorry to hear that Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has resigned from his post for health reasons,” Lee said in a Facebook post.
“I have worked well with Abe for almost nine years. Under his leadership, our bilateral relations have deepened … I wish Abe-san a good recovery when he begins treatment for his condition,” he added.
READ: Comment: Will replacing Abe leave Japan in limbo?
The last time the two leaders met in person was in November of last year, Lee said. They also met online in April, during an ASEAN Plus Three virtual summit on COVID-19.
Lee said Abe also played a “critical role” in the conclusion of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) after the United States abandoned the original Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.
Singapore and Japan are among the 11 parts of the CPTPP, which was concluded in January 2018 in Tokyo, according to information on the website of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
READ: Who could lead Japan after Shinzo Abe?
Speaking with CNA’s Otelli Edwards on News 5 Tonight, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan echoed Lee’s comments on Abe’s role in the CPTPP.
“When the United States withdrew, it was Prime Minister Abe’s leadership that kept the other 11 members of the TPP moving forward. And now, today the CPTPP that came into force, ratified by the majority of its members, is a compliment to the efforts and leadership of Prime Minister Abe, “said Dr. Balakrishnan.
Dr. Balakrishnan called Mr. Abe “a very positive and constructive force” for Singapore-Japan relations, adding that the Japanese leader got along “very, very well” with Mr. Lee.
“We regret his resignation and the fact that he had to do it under pressure … due to his health,” said Dr. Balakrishnan.
“We wish him all the best and hope he makes a full recovery.”
With additional information from Matthew Mohan.
