Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe announced on Friday he would resign from the post due to chronic health issues. He is the longest serving PM in his country elected from the Liberal Democratic party. His current stint began in 2012. He resigns with one full year remaining to his term.
This is not his first resignation as Prime Minister. Abe had first become the country’s PM in 2006, but resigned in 2007 due to illness.
Abe said, “I apologise from the bottom of my heart that despite all of the support from the Japanese people, I am leaving the post with one full year left in my term”.
Prime Minister Modi on his tweet said he was pained to hear the the news of Abe’s resignation, and praised his “wise leadership” and “personal commitment”. Japan is the third largest economy in the world.