Prime Minister congratulates Japan’s new leader

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has sent a message of congratulations to Yoshihiko Noda on his election as Japanese Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has sent a message of congratulations to Yoshihiko Noda on his election as Japan ’s Prime Minister.

Noda, 54, was named as Japan 's next prime minister on Aug. 30, the sixth in five years and immediately set to work selecting key ruling party executives to help him achieve his goals of reconstructing quake-ravaged areas and restoring the nation's fiscal health.

Finance Minister Noda, who won the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's presidential election on Aug. 29, expressed hope he will choose the new lineup of key party executives as soon as possible before trying to form his Cabinet later this week, according to Kyodo News.

He has taken the helm while the disaster-hit nation faces a myriad of challenges including how to contain the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant as quickly as possible and prevent the yen's surge from hurting Japan 's export-reliant economy.

Outgoing Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his Cabinet resigned en masse on the same day to pave the way for Noda to launch his government possibly later this week./.

See more