Hiroshima and Nagasaki mayors send letter to U.S. Embassy to urge president to visit A-bombed cities
Jan. 22, 2021
by Kyosuke Mizukawa and Kohei Okata, Staff Writers
On January 21, following Joe Biden’s inauguration as president of the United States, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue jointly sent a letter to the U.S. Embassy, requesting the new president visit the atomic-bombed cities and advance the abolition of nuclear weapons.
The letter was addressed to Mr. Biden, and the mayors in the A-bombed cities emphasized they wanted him to accept the A-bomb survivors’ desire that, “No one else should ever suffer as we have.” They made an appeal for the importance of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which enters into force on January 22, to fulfill the obligation to sincerely pursue negotiations for nuclear disarmament stipulated in the Article Six of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). They also requested the U.S. government participate in the meetings of States Parties to the treaty.
Additionally, Hidehiko Yuzaki, governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, spoke to the media at the prefectural government’s office on January 21, and said, “If the U.S. government will, as Mr. Biden said, unitedly work toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons, the U.S. stance on nuclear abolition will completely change, which will have a significant effect,” referring to the change of administration from former President Donald Trump, who increased his dependence on nuclear weapons while maintaining security. The Obama administration, in which Mr. Biden served as vice president, considered adopting a policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons. Regarding this position, Mr. Yuzaki also said, “I hope the U.S. government adopts it and tries to find a way to change the view of depending on nuclear deterrence for the nation’s security on a medium- and long-term basis.”
(Originally published on January 22, 2021)
On January 21, following Joe Biden’s inauguration as president of the United States, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue jointly sent a letter to the U.S. Embassy, requesting the new president visit the atomic-bombed cities and advance the abolition of nuclear weapons.
The letter was addressed to Mr. Biden, and the mayors in the A-bombed cities emphasized they wanted him to accept the A-bomb survivors’ desire that, “No one else should ever suffer as we have.” They made an appeal for the importance of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which enters into force on January 22, to fulfill the obligation to sincerely pursue negotiations for nuclear disarmament stipulated in the Article Six of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). They also requested the U.S. government participate in the meetings of States Parties to the treaty.
Additionally, Hidehiko Yuzaki, governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, spoke to the media at the prefectural government’s office on January 21, and said, “If the U.S. government will, as Mr. Biden said, unitedly work toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons, the U.S. stance on nuclear abolition will completely change, which will have a significant effect,” referring to the change of administration from former President Donald Trump, who increased his dependence on nuclear weapons while maintaining security. The Obama administration, in which Mr. Biden served as vice president, considered adopting a policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons. Regarding this position, Mr. Yuzaki also said, “I hope the U.S. government adopts it and tries to find a way to change the view of depending on nuclear deterrence for the nation’s security on a medium- and long-term basis.”
(Originally published on January 22, 2021)
