Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki hope for early visit by Obama to A-bombed cities
Nov. 11, 2009
by Keisuke Yoshihawra, Staff Writer
On November 10, welcoming the news that U.S. President Barack Obama expressed interest in visiting the A-bombed cities, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue jointly released a statement which said: "We hope the president's visit will be realized at the earliest possible date."
In their statement, the mayors expressed the hope that a personal visit by Mr. Obama to see the devastation wrought by the atomic bombings would strengthen his resolve to lead the world toward the elimination of nuclear weapons. "We believe this historical visit would be a big step toward a brighter future and the spirit of reconciliation advocated by the A-bomb survivors will illuminate this path," they concluded.
In late October, both mayors visited the embassies of nuclear weapon states in Tokyo, including the U.S. Embassy, to urge the leaders of those nations to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki prior to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference slated for next May.
(Originally published on November 11, 2009)
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On November 10, welcoming the news that U.S. President Barack Obama expressed interest in visiting the A-bombed cities, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue jointly released a statement which said: "We hope the president's visit will be realized at the earliest possible date."
In their statement, the mayors expressed the hope that a personal visit by Mr. Obama to see the devastation wrought by the atomic bombings would strengthen his resolve to lead the world toward the elimination of nuclear weapons. "We believe this historical visit would be a big step toward a brighter future and the spirit of reconciliation advocated by the A-bomb survivors will illuminate this path," they concluded.
In late October, both mayors visited the embassies of nuclear weapon states in Tokyo, including the U.S. Embassy, to urge the leaders of those nations to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki prior to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference slated for next May.
(Originally published on November 11, 2009)
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Obama willing to visit Hiroshima, Nagasaki while in office (Nov. 11, 2009)
