Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi welcomed the New Year by restating his determination to spark positive economic growth in the next fiscal year, calling for smooth Diet passage of the fiscal 1999 budget bill that he says will help achieve that goal.
The immediate task for his administration is to get quick Diet approval of the bill, Obuchi told a press conference marking the New Year.
Toward that end, he said, his Liberal Democratic Party intends to form a stable government in cooperation with the Liberal Party. "I would like to see a firm and stable relationship between the two parties. Therefore, I would like to seek the Liberal Party's participation in the new Cabinet," he said.