Hiroshima mayor asks Japanese foreign minister to seek nuclear weapons convention
Sep. 19, 2013
by Jumpei Fujimura, Staff Writer
On September 10, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, who also serves as president of Mayors for Peace, met with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and requested that a nuclear weapons convention be concluded at the earliest date possible. The minister, elected from Hiroshima, indicated his intention to help create an environment where more nations will show willingness to implement such a treaty.
Mr. Matsui and the director of Nagasaki City's Tokyo Office visited the minister and handed him a written request addressed to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. This request was adopted at a meeting of the domestic members of Mayors for Peace on August 5.
Mr. Kishida pointed out that not many nations, including nuclear weapon states, have shown a positive attitude toward the idea of a nuclear weapons convention. To realize a world without nuclear weapons, he said he will put forward feasible proposals to the international community through, among other channels, the Non-proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI), which is led by Japan and Australia.
The letter states that it was highly regrettable Japan did not sign a joint statement on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, which was submitted in April to the Preparatory Committee for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference. The letter also requests that Japan, the nation which suffered the atomic bombings, display leadership for the conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention.
After the meeting, Mr. Matsui said, “I heard that the Japanese government is involved in an international effort to draft a new statement on nuclear weapons. I will keep an eye on developments.”
(Originally published on September 11, 2013)
On September 10, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, who also serves as president of Mayors for Peace, met with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and requested that a nuclear weapons convention be concluded at the earliest date possible. The minister, elected from Hiroshima, indicated his intention to help create an environment where more nations will show willingness to implement such a treaty.
Mr. Matsui and the director of Nagasaki City's Tokyo Office visited the minister and handed him a written request addressed to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. This request was adopted at a meeting of the domestic members of Mayors for Peace on August 5.
Mr. Kishida pointed out that not many nations, including nuclear weapon states, have shown a positive attitude toward the idea of a nuclear weapons convention. To realize a world without nuclear weapons, he said he will put forward feasible proposals to the international community through, among other channels, the Non-proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI), which is led by Japan and Australia.
The letter states that it was highly regrettable Japan did not sign a joint statement on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, which was submitted in April to the Preparatory Committee for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference. The letter also requests that Japan, the nation which suffered the atomic bombings, display leadership for the conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention.
After the meeting, Mr. Matsui said, “I heard that the Japanese government is involved in an international effort to draft a new statement on nuclear weapons. I will keep an eye on developments.”
(Originally published on September 11, 2013)
