Japan to lead discussion of nuclear issues at meeting of foreign ministers in Hiroshima next month
Apr. 5, 2016
by Kyosuke Mizukawa, Staff Writer
The meeting of foreign ministers will take place in Hiroshima on April 10 and 11. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, who is also a member of the House of Representatives elected from Hiroshima, will serve as chair of the meeting. Mr. Kishida has said that he will lead discussions on nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation issues, which have remained at an impasse. In Hiroshima, local citizens kicked off preparations for welcoming the foreign ministers to the city to support the success of the meeting.
At the meeting, the member nations will discuss unified efforts against terrorism, including terrorist attacks pursued by the militant group known as the Islamic State. The agenda will also include such issues as the situation in the Middle East; the refugee crisis in Europe; North Korea’s abductions, nuclear development, and missiles; and concerns involving the South China Sea, where China has been constructing artificial islands.
While in Hiroshima, the foreign ministers will also offer flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. It will mark the first time that the foreign ministers of such nuclear nations as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France are visiting the park. The visit to Hiroshima by the foreign ministers will draw attention to the question of whether U.S. President Obama might make a subsequent visit to the A-bombed city.
Traffic will be restricted in the vicinity of the Grand Prince Hotel in Minami Ward, the venue for the meeting, with stronger measures put in place to ward off terrorism. Since March 10, the council to promote the meeting, a body formed by 18 governmental and private groups including Hiroshima Prefecture, has been asking citizens to refrain from entering this area by car during the duration of the gathering to prevent traffic congestion. The Hiroshima Prefectural Police Department has also tightened security in the area.
In addition, various events will be held by citizens to take the opportunity of the meeting to send out messages of peace from Hiroshima. From March 18 to 21, the council will hold a meeting of “youth foreign ministers.” On March 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host a forum in Hiroshima with the former “youth communicators for a world without nuclear weapons.”
The Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, a citizens’ group, and others will hold a symposium on April 10, the first day of the meeting. Through the symposium, they wish to heighten the call to start negotiations to create a nuclear weapons convention, a step which the Japanese government has been reluctant to support.
(Originally published on March 13, 2016)
The meeting of foreign ministers will take place in Hiroshima on April 10 and 11. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, who is also a member of the House of Representatives elected from Hiroshima, will serve as chair of the meeting. Mr. Kishida has said that he will lead discussions on nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation issues, which have remained at an impasse. In Hiroshima, local citizens kicked off preparations for welcoming the foreign ministers to the city to support the success of the meeting.
At the meeting, the member nations will discuss unified efforts against terrorism, including terrorist attacks pursued by the militant group known as the Islamic State. The agenda will also include such issues as the situation in the Middle East; the refugee crisis in Europe; North Korea’s abductions, nuclear development, and missiles; and concerns involving the South China Sea, where China has been constructing artificial islands.
While in Hiroshima, the foreign ministers will also offer flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. It will mark the first time that the foreign ministers of such nuclear nations as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France are visiting the park. The visit to Hiroshima by the foreign ministers will draw attention to the question of whether U.S. President Obama might make a subsequent visit to the A-bombed city.
Traffic will be restricted in the vicinity of the Grand Prince Hotel in Minami Ward, the venue for the meeting, with stronger measures put in place to ward off terrorism. Since March 10, the council to promote the meeting, a body formed by 18 governmental and private groups including Hiroshima Prefecture, has been asking citizens to refrain from entering this area by car during the duration of the gathering to prevent traffic congestion. The Hiroshima Prefectural Police Department has also tightened security in the area.
In addition, various events will be held by citizens to take the opportunity of the meeting to send out messages of peace from Hiroshima. From March 18 to 21, the council will hold a meeting of “youth foreign ministers.” On March 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host a forum in Hiroshima with the former “youth communicators for a world without nuclear weapons.”
The Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, a citizens’ group, and others will hold a symposium on April 10, the first day of the meeting. Through the symposium, they wish to heighten the call to start negotiations to create a nuclear weapons convention, a step which the Japanese government has been reluctant to support.
(Originally published on March 13, 2016)
