TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide on Sunday congratulated Joe Biden on his victory in the US presidential election.

“I look forward to working with you to further strengthen the Japan-US Alliance and ensure peace, freedom, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,” Suga said on Twitter.

Warm congratulations to @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. I look forward to working with you to further strengthen the Japan-US Alliance and ensure peace, freedom, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

— 菅 義偉 (@sugawitter) November 7, 2020

Suga aims to visit the US early next year for talks with Joe Biden after the Democrat declared his victory on Saturday.

The Japanese PM hopes to meet with Biden at an early date to confirm the strategic importance of the Japan-US alliance, sources familiar with his thinking said.

In 2016, Suga’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, held his first meeting with then US President-elect Donald Trump only nine days after Trump’s victory.

But a US president-elect usually waits until Inauguration Day before starting diplomatic activities. A senior Japanese government official said that Suga is “unlikely to visit the United States this year.”

JIJI Press