Japan defence chief Kono expects to be prime minister one day, but backs Suga to succeed Abe
TOKYO - Japan’s Defence Minister Taro Kono on Thursday said he supports Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga as the country’s next leader to provide continuity in tackling the coronavirus crisis but also predicted he will one day be prime minister.
“It is important to contain COVID-19 and at the same time we need to restart the economy,” Kono said in an interview with Reuters. “One day I will be the prime minister,” he added. Abe announced on Friday he was resigning because of poor health, ending his tenure as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. A leadership election is set for Sept. 14 with LDP lawmakers and regional party representatives casting votes.
“We need to secure our social security, how we are going to provide social security, pensions, medical, childcare. I think that’s going to be very important, and that needs to be thoroughly discussed,” Kono said.
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