First Meeting of States Parties to TPNW: Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary refrains from expressing opinion on Vienna Declaration
Jun. 25, 2022
by Koji Higuchi, Staff Writer
With respect to adoption by the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) of the Vienna Declaration, which calls for immediate action toward the elimination of nuclear weapons and criticizes countries that are reliant on the nuclear umbrella of the West, Japan Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara said in a press conference on June 24 that, “Because Japan did not attend the meeting, I will refrain from commenting on the declaration.”
The declaration pointed out that countries under the nuclear umbrella, including Japan, are failing to take “serious steps to reduce their reliance on nuclear weapons.” Without explaining his assessment of the declaration, Mr. Kihara said simply, “We are aware of the declaration’s criticism.”
At the same time, Mr. Kihara said that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who represents Hiroshima Prefecture’s District No. 1, would participate in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, which is to be held in August. He pledged that the government would “do our utmost to achieve significant success at the conference.” Mr. Kihara added, “As the only country to have experienced atomic bombings in wartime, Japan hopes to make realistic efforts toward the realization of a world without nuclear weapons.”
(Originally published on June 25, 2022)
With respect to adoption by the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) of the Vienna Declaration, which calls for immediate action toward the elimination of nuclear weapons and criticizes countries that are reliant on the nuclear umbrella of the West, Japan Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara said in a press conference on June 24 that, “Because Japan did not attend the meeting, I will refrain from commenting on the declaration.”
The declaration pointed out that countries under the nuclear umbrella, including Japan, are failing to take “serious steps to reduce their reliance on nuclear weapons.” Without explaining his assessment of the declaration, Mr. Kihara said simply, “We are aware of the declaration’s criticism.”
At the same time, Mr. Kihara said that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who represents Hiroshima Prefecture’s District No. 1, would participate in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, which is to be held in August. He pledged that the government would “do our utmost to achieve significant success at the conference.” Mr. Kihara added, “As the only country to have experienced atomic bombings in wartime, Japan hopes to make realistic efforts toward the realization of a world without nuclear weapons.”
(Originally published on June 25, 2022)
