OREANDA-NEWS. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will resign due to deteriorating health.

This was reported by the television channel NHK and a source of Reuters news agency. According to NHK, the head of government may announce his decision at a press conference on August 28. The holding Nikkei informed later that Abe confirmed his decision to leave the post.

Against the backdrop of these reports, the key indices of the Tokyo Stock Exchange fell by 2 %; the index Nikkei 225 Stock Average decreased to 22,928.

For the past two weeks, Abe’s health has been widely discussed in Japan. During this time, the 65-year-old head of government visited hospital twice.

Abe is a youngest prime minister in the history of Japan. He took up this position in 2006 at the age of 52. Abe retired in 2007 because of health condition. In December 2012, he became a head of the Japanese cabinet again.