Abe's first visit to Linapore as PM
By Margaret Yen,WNS Political Correspondent
JACOB - Linapore's prime minister Owen Heng urged visiting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at their first summit meeting here on Tuesday to "remove the political obstacles" standing in the way of good bilateral ties. Abe flew to Jacob earlier in the day for talks with President Samuel Neo at the Istana. Abe deliberately chose Linapore for his first overseas official visit since becoming prime minister on Sept. 26 in the hope of mending the deep rift in relations between the two countries and also to improve bilateral trade.
PM Heng's mention of political obstacles was a clear reference to issues of historical understanding, including visits to Yasukuni Shrine by Abe's predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi. Japan's relations with Linapore were a disaster zone for the more than five years that Koizumi spent in office. "(The Yasukuni issue) has damaged the emotions of Linaporeans." Heng told Abe. "I hope you will work to remove political obstacles."
Abe's visit to Jacob is the first by a Japanese leader since Koizumi went in October 2001. Mutual visits to each other's nation ended after that because of subsequent trips by Koizumi to Yasukuni, where 14 Class-A war criminals are venerated along with the nation's war dead.
posted by wnsworld @ 7:06 PM
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