BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, September 23, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, has extended congratulations and good wishes to His Excellency Yoshihide Suga on being elected the new Prime Minister of Japan.
In a congratulatory letter to Prime Minister Suga, Prime Minister Harris indicated that, “While your appointment comes at one of the most challenging times of the modern world, I am confident that under wise and astute leadership Japan will continue to chart its course towards a stronger and more prosperous nation.”
Dr. Harris noted that St. Kitts and Nevis values highly the longstanding and cordial ties between both countries that have redounded to the mutual benefit of the people. He added, “Japan is one of the CARICOM region’s strongest supporters in the areas of disaster preparedness and risk mitigation, fisheries and climate change. Even at this time as our region is confronted by health and natural disasters, we are better prepared to affect an immediate and coordinated response thanks to the resources, training and expertise Japan has rendered to the region.”
Mr. Suga’s election to the Office of Prime Minister on Wednesday, September 16 follows the sudden resignation of then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in August of this year for health reasons.
Prime Minister Harris, in a separate letter to the former leader, thanked His Excellency Abe for his years of yeoman service to the people of Japan, noting that Mr. Abe deserves the highest commendations for his stellar leadership, not only in Japan but across the Asian region.
Dr. Harris told His Excellency Abe that, “St. Kitts and Nevis and Japan have enjoyed dynamic relations built on our shared values, democracy and rule of law. Thanks to your vision and understanding of the challenges faced by small island states, you worked assiduously to advance the CARICOM-Japan partnership when you visited the Caribbean for the First Japan CARICOM Summit in 2014, which was designated “Japan-CARICOM Friendship Year.”
“This partnership has improved the technical capacity of our people and contributed to the advancement of our climate change resilience efforts throughout the region. I am confident that the relationship between our two countries will continue to grow from strength to strength under your successor,” Prime Minister Harris added.
Mr. Abe is Japan’s longest serving prime minister.
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