Prime Minister Lee congratulates Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on re-election.
SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong congratulated his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio on Monday (November 22) on his re-election as prime minister.
Prime Minister Lee also congratulated Kishida on the victory of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the lower house elections, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Kishida’s PLD and its minor coalition partner Komeito won 293 of the 465 seats on October 31.
During the telephone conversation on Monday, the two leaders reaffirmed the excellent ties between Singapore and Japan.
Prime Minister Lee said he hoped to deepen cooperation with Japan in areas where both countries share a common interest, including the safe resumption of travel, digitization and the digital economy.
They also discussed the Kishida Digital Garden City Nation Vision, and PM Lee shared Singapore’s experience in the Smart Nation Singapore initiative.
MFA said that Lee invited Kishida to pay an official visit to Singapore, adding that he last met with Kishida in September 2019 when he delivered the keynote address at the Singapore Summit.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Lee said Singapore and Japan mark the 55th year of diplomatic relations this year.
He added that he has met with Kishida several times over the years, including when Kishida was Japan’s foreign minister.
Prime Minister Lee said that Singapore and Japan are like-minded partners supporting the multilateral trading system and the rules-based international order.
He said: “We work together on the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
“I am confident that our cooperation will grow under the leadership of Prime Minister Kishida.”
