Lech Walesa, former president of Poland, visits Hiroshima, says war should not be waged
Mar. 25, 2014
by Aya Kano and Yo Kono, Staff Writers
Lech Walesa, 70, the former president of Poland, visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on March 19 and offered flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims. The Nobel Peace Prize winner expressed deep concern over the tense standoff between Russia and Ukraine. He stressed that war should not be waged to resolve such situations.
Mr. Walesa then visited the Atomic Bomb Dome. He said that his father had served as a forced laborer during World War II and died shortly after the war. The world back then did not realize where it was headed, he said, and that the tragedies of that time must not be repeated.
Mr. Walesa noted the current situation on the Crimean Peninsula in southern Ukraine, and the military pressure Russia has been exerting. He said that no one wishes for war and called for the world to stand in solidarity in order to resolve the longstanding border dispute and avoid further escalation of the crisis. Diplomatic efforts must be made to address the problem, he stressed.
Mr. Walesa is a member of “The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates,” where Nobel Peace Prize laureates gather to discuss issues involving nuclear weapons and human rights. He came to Hiroshima at the invitation of the Mazda Motor Corporation, which has been lending its support to the summit since 2013. Mr. Walesa visited Mazda headquarters in Fuchu, Hiroshima Prefecture, and met with Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki and Mayor Kazumi Matsui on March 19. He asked that they take part in the next summit, scheduled to take place in South Africa this October.
Mr. Walesa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for his efforts in leading the pro-democracy movement in Poland. He served as the president of Poland between 1990 and 1995.
(Originally published on March 20, 2014)
Lech Walesa, 70, the former president of Poland, visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on March 19 and offered flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims. The Nobel Peace Prize winner expressed deep concern over the tense standoff between Russia and Ukraine. He stressed that war should not be waged to resolve such situations.
Mr. Walesa then visited the Atomic Bomb Dome. He said that his father had served as a forced laborer during World War II and died shortly after the war. The world back then did not realize where it was headed, he said, and that the tragedies of that time must not be repeated.
Mr. Walesa noted the current situation on the Crimean Peninsula in southern Ukraine, and the military pressure Russia has been exerting. He said that no one wishes for war and called for the world to stand in solidarity in order to resolve the longstanding border dispute and avoid further escalation of the crisis. Diplomatic efforts must be made to address the problem, he stressed.
Mr. Walesa is a member of “The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates,” where Nobel Peace Prize laureates gather to discuss issues involving nuclear weapons and human rights. He came to Hiroshima at the invitation of the Mazda Motor Corporation, which has been lending its support to the summit since 2013. Mr. Walesa visited Mazda headquarters in Fuchu, Hiroshima Prefecture, and met with Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki and Mayor Kazumi Matsui on March 19. He asked that they take part in the next summit, scheduled to take place in South Africa this October.
Mr. Walesa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for his efforts in leading the pro-democracy movement in Poland. He served as the president of Poland between 1990 and 1995.
(Originally published on March 20, 2014)
