New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Japan’s new prime minister Yoshihide Suga on his appointment. PM Modi said he looks forward to jointly taking New Delhi and Tokyo Special Strategic and Global Partnership to “new heights”.

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, “Heartiest congratulations to Excellency Yoshihide Suga on the appointment as Prime Minister of Japan @kantei. I look forward to jointly taking our Special Strategic and Global Partnership to new heights. @sugawitter”

Heartiest congratulations to Excellency Yoshihide Suga on the appointment as Prime Minister of Japan @kantei. I look forward to jointly taking our Special Strategic and Global Partnership to new heights. @sugawitter

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2020

Suga, the new leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, was elected Japan’s prime minister by the powerful House of Representatives on Wednesday. Suga had been chosen as leader of the ruling party on Monday, virtually assuring his succession.

Suga, who was chief Cabinet secretary and long seen as Abe’s right-hand man, is to launch his own Cabinet later Wednesday.

The 71-year-old farmer’s son, Suga, who unlike Abe and many other lawmakers in Japan is not the scion of a political dynasty, has hinted at the possibility of additional steps to shore up the economy, Kyodo News reported.

Suga will be the oldest prime minister to take office since Kiichi Miyazawa in 1991.