Japan had last month welcomed the peaceful and successful holding of the Presidential election in Sri Lanka and expressed its congratulations on the election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the President of Sri Lanka.Japan had said that it hopes that under the leadership of President Rajapaksa and with the cooperation from all parties concerned in Sri Lanka, the country will achieve economic development and national reconciliation which will contribute to regional stability and prosperity as a hub of the Indo-Pacific region.