日本政府、英保守党大勝に安堵　安倍首相「予測可能性高くなった」

　英総選挙でジョンソン首相率いる与党・保守党が大勝したことを受け、日本政府内には安堵（あんど）の空気が広がっている。日本企業に悪影響が出かねない欧州連合（ＥＵ）からの「合意なき離脱」が回避される公算が大きいとみているためだ。安倍晋三首相は１３日の講演で「英国がＥＵ離脱でどういう道を通っていくのか、予測可能性が高くなった」と指摘した。
　日本の政府内や経済界には「合意なき離脱」に至った場合、英国とＥＵ間の通関や物流の混乱から、英国に進出した日本企業が不利益を被るとの懸念があった。だが、保守党が過半数を獲得したことで、１０月に現英政権がＥＵと合意した離脱案は議会承認が得られる見通しだ。（2019/12/13-18:44）

Japanese government officials breathed sighs of relief to see a landslide victory of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party in Thursday's general election, with Britain's exit from the European Union without an agreement now likely to be avoided.
   In a message sent to Johnson on Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe congratulated the British leader on the election win and said he is happy to be able to continue working with Johnson. Britain now seems to be on course to realize a smooth exit from the EU, and Japan hopes to start working with Britain soon on building a new bilateral economic partnership, Abe added.
   In a speech in Tokyo on Friday, Abe said, "Now we have greater chances of predicting what course Britain will take in its withdrawal from the EU."
   There had been concerns in the Japanese government and business world that a "no-deal Brexit" could adversely affect Japanese firms operating in Britain as such a development could cause turmoil in customs procedures and logistics between Britain and EU member countries.
   But the Conservative Party's election win with a clear majority has made it likely that the Brexit plan that the current British government and the EU agreed in October can gain parliamentary approval in Britain. "The election result will calm down the situation at last. The worst scenario has been staved off," a Japanese government source said.