Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso yesterday apologized at the parliament (Diet) for Shoichi Nakagawa' s resignation as finance minister over his befuddled behavior at a G7 meeting in Rome.

"While the fiscal 2009 budget is being discussed, the finance minister has resigned," said Aso at the House of Representatives Budget Committee. "I feel quite regrettable."

On Wednesday, the opposition parties, not satisfied with Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa's abrupt resignation on Tuesday, demanded that Aso apologize for the political turmoil.