PM Modi tweets in Japanese to congratulate Yoshihide Suga

New Delhi, Sep 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday tweeted in Japanese to congratulate Yoshihide Suga, who was formally elected as Japan's new prime minister in a parliamentary vote. Suga is replacing Shinzo Abe, who resigned earlier in the day because of ill health.

"Heartiest congratulations to Yoshihide Suga on the appointment as Prime Minister of Japan. I look forward to jointly taking our Special Strategic and Global Partnership to new heights," Modi tweeted.

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.

Suga has stressed his background as a farmer's son and a self-made politician in promising to serve the interests of ordinary people and rural communities.