PM Modi Pained By Abe's Ill-Health, Prays For His Speedy Recovery

NEW DELHI|| Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening expressed his anguish at Japanese prime minister's indisposition. "Pained to hear about your ill health, my dear friend" he wrote from his Twitter handle. In recent years, with your wise leadership and personal commitment, the India-Japan partnership has become deeper and stronger than ever before, the prime minister further wrote.

PM Modi also prayed for speedy recovery of Abe. While the Indian prime minister has cordial relationships with most foreign heads of state, he shares a special personal bond with Abe, as has been on display on numerous occasions.

Japan's longest-serving prime minister Shinzo Abe, announced his resignation on Friday, citing health reasons. At a press conference in Tokyo, the prime minister said while he had a year left in his tenure, he was calling it quits and standing down as prime minister.

Sources say the outgoing Japanese prime minister suffers from a non-curable inflammatory bowel disease - colitis, which has been bothering him from as early as in 2007.