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Foreign minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina visits Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

by Kyosuke Mizukawa, Staff Writer

On October 31, Igor Crnadak, the minister of foreign affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, paid his first visit to the Peace Memorial Park in Naka Ward, Hiroshima. Mr. Crnadak learned about the true damage wrought by the atomic bombing and expressed his desire to support the initiatives pursued by Mayors for Peace (for which Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui serves as president) in order to advance the goal of nuclear abolition.

Guided by Yasuyoshi Komizo, the chairperson of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, Mr. Crnadak toured the Peace Memorial Museum and took in the exhibits, including a computer graphics display that depicts the vast destruction to the city caused by the atomic bomb. He then laid flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims. Speaking to the media, he said that he had known about the history of Hiroshima, but that his tour of the museum had changed his perceptions. He stressed that everyone must make their best effort to help create a peaceful world.

Afterward, Mr. Crnadak met with Mr. Matsui at the Hiroshima City Hall. Mr. Matsui asked for his support to strengthen the nuclear weapons ban treaty, concerning which the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not participate in the negotiations and has not yet signed, and to encourage the cities of his nation to participate in Mayors for Peace as member cities. Mr. Crnadak responded favorably to both requests, saying that he would like to offer his support.

Mr. Crnadak arrived in Japan on October 29 for a discussion with Taro Kono, the Japanese foreign minister. His trip to Hiroshima was arranged at his request.

(Originally published on November 1, 2017)

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