Newly-elected
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday pledged to revive country’s economy while also constraining the spread of coronavirus infections in the
island nation.

With Shinzo
Abe’s record-breaking reign coming to an end, Suga delivered his first remarks
following his appointment as Prime Minister by the Parliament earlier on Wednesday, AFP reported. He emphasised
that his cabinet will seek to continue the policies that were championed by
Abe.

Also Read: Japan parliament elects Yoshihide Suga new prime minister

“We need to
carry forward the policies that the Abe administration was pushing, I feel that
is the mission for which I have been called,” Suga said.

In reply to
question about potentially holding a snap election to consolidate his position,
he said, “what the public wants right now is that we manage to end the pandemic
soon and at the same time we steadily restore the economy”.

“Achieving
both the prevention of the spread of infection and rebuilding the economy is
what they desire most. We hope to do our best on this issue first,” Suga said.

Suga did
not reveal much about his political ideologies or foreign policy goals, instead
pledging reforms in administration and an end to “bureaucratic silos” and a further
digitalisation of the government.

Also Read: Virus woes, delayed Olympics: Tough tasks for next Japan PM

Suga stated
that he would continue to maintain strong ties with the United States and stable
relations with China and Russia, although did not mention the ongoing tensions
with South Korea or his defense strategies in as far as North Korea is
concerned.

The
71-year-old takes the office of the prime minister after decades in politics,
most recent of his roles being chief cabinet secretary, where he acted as a key
enforcer of government policy and spokesperson.

Having
served as a long-time adviser and right-hand man for Abe, Suga said his run was
inspired by his desire to further his predecessor’s policies. His cabinet is
also full of familiar faces, as Abe’s foreign and finance ministers have been retained,
while the outgoing premier’s brother was appointed to head the defense ministry.

Suga faced
little opposition in the election in parliament, where his ruling Liberal
Democratic Party holds a majority. However, he is now faced with a host of
challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic, the delayed Olympics and on a
more long-term issue, a declining population.

“Tough
issues are mounting before the Suga cabinet,” said Shinichi Nishikawa, professor
of political science at Tokyo’s Meiji University. “The coronavirus is the top
priority to tackle. On the diplomatic front, there are many uncertain factors,
including the US presidential election.”

Also Read: Yoshihide Suga elected to succeed Shinzo Abe as Japan PM

Abe, along
with his cabinet, formally resigned on Wednesday after a record run in office,
stepping down following recurring ulcerative colitis, a bowel disease that
forced an early end to his first term in office.