TOKYO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet resigned en masse Wednesday morning, marking an end to Abe's record-long tenure of nearly eight years.

"I have spent every day putting my all into economic recovery and diplomacy to protect Japan's interests," Abe said at the prime minister's office.

Yoshihide Suga, the new leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is set to take office as Japan's prime minister, with the immediate focus on reviving a battered economy while keeping COVID-19 under control.