安倍晋三就慰安妇问题道歉Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has apologised in parliament for the country's use of women as sex slaves during World War II
日本首相安倍晋三现已在国会就二战时期日本强征女性为慰安妇的做法做出道歉
The apology comes after Mr Abe was criticised by Asian neighbours for previous comments casting doubt on whether the women were coerced
Mr Abe told parliament: "I apologise here and now as prime minister
" This appears to be part of a concerted bid to reduce the fall-out of earlier comments, a BBC correspondent says
Mr Abe said, during a debate in parliament's upper house, that he stood by an official 1993 statement in which Japan acknowledged the imperial army set up and ran brothels for its troops during the war
"As I frequently say, I feel sympathy for the people who underwent hardships, and I apologise for th