File photo of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi
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Tokyo/New Delhi: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 65, decided to resign due to health reasons on Friday. Abe told reporters on Friday evening that he had suffered a relapse of the bowel disease because of which he had to resign after just a year during his first stint in office.
“As I’m in the middle of treatment, I judged that this is the only timing that will not create a vacuum of political leadership,” he said.
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Abe, PM since 2012, had only four days ago set the record of being Japan’s longest serving prime minister. He said he regretted not realising his ambition to secure the return of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea decades ago during his tenure as PM.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was pained to hear about Abe’s ill health. He tweeted: “Pained to hear about your ill health, my dear friend @AbeShinzo. In recent years, with your wise leadership and personal commitment, the India-Japan partnership has become deeper and stronger than ever before. I wish and pray for your speedy recovery.”
Charles Michel, President of the European Council, tweeted: “I would like to thank PM @AbeShinzo for the close and strong partnership the #Japan have built under his leadership. You have helped make Japan a pillar of today’s multilateral system. I wish you good health and hope to meet you again soon, my friend.
A big achievement of Abe as prime minister was to ensure Japan’s recovery from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that had hit the nation in March 2011 and also caused a nuclear disaster.
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