Foreign ministers’ meeting in Hiroshima: Written interview with Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s foreign minister
Apr. 1, 2016
The Chugoku Shimbun has conducted written interviews with the foreign ministers set to attend the ministerial meeting in Hiroshima on April 10 and 11. From their responses to our questions, we will share their hopes for the meeting and their outlook toward “a world without nuclear weapons.”
What are your impressions of Hiroshima?
I had the pleasure of vising this wonderful city in April 2014 to attend the foreign ministers’ meeting of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI). Non-proliferation and disarmament are very important issues to me. During my stay in the city, I was deeply moved by my visit to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims and the Peace Memorial Museum, and by my conversation with an atomic bomb survivor. Hiroshima enjoins us to work with the greatest possible resolve toward “Global Zero.” I am confident that the spirit of the city, along with the warm hospitality and breathtaking scenery, will contribute to the success of the talks.
What hopes do you have for the upcoming foreign ministers’ meeting?
In addition to nuclear disarmament, a topic so closely associated with Hiroshima, we will be looking at a whole range of current international issues, including the war in Syria, the conflict in Ukraine, and the fight against terrorism. I am particularly pleased that Japan remains committed to one of the priorities of the German G7 presidency, “maritime security.”
I hope that this meeting with my G7 colleagues will provide significant impetus on all these subjects. This forum, comprising seven countries with such a wide range of views and positions, is particularly suited to developing viable, realistic approaches to solutions. A look at the ongoing crises makes it clear that we can find practicable approaches only if we trust in the power of diplomacy and in the power of dialogue.
What are your thoughts on the path toward “a world without nuclear weapons”?
Germany is committed to the goal of “a world free from nuclear weapons.” At the same time, we all realise that we have a very long way to go. The latest nuclear test in North Korea, for example, is a reminder that, on the way to “Global Zero,” we have to deal with regional conflicts with a nuclear dimension as well.
In my view, it is regrettable that President Obama’s offer from the summer of 2013 to embark on a new round of nuclear disarmament talks with Russia has not yet been taken up. It is clear that “Global Zero” is a task spanning generations which can only be achieved with many small and large steps. But there is no alternative path.
Do you have any suggestions as to what the youth of Hiroshima can do to promote peace?
An open exchange between civil societies is one good way of creating trust, swapping experiences and developing ideas as to how we can work together for disarmament and peace. The dialogue among young people from many different countries would have to look also at difficult issues such as reckoning with the past and could involve people from neighboring states such as China and Korea in the first instance, but also from other parts of the world. I also encourage young people in Hiroshima to seek dialogue with politicians and decision-makers.
(Originally published on April 1, 2016)
Read the full interview here.
What are your impressions of Hiroshima?
I had the pleasure of vising this wonderful city in April 2014 to attend the foreign ministers’ meeting of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI). Non-proliferation and disarmament are very important issues to me. During my stay in the city, I was deeply moved by my visit to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims and the Peace Memorial Museum, and by my conversation with an atomic bomb survivor. Hiroshima enjoins us to work with the greatest possible resolve toward “Global Zero.” I am confident that the spirit of the city, along with the warm hospitality and breathtaking scenery, will contribute to the success of the talks.
What hopes do you have for the upcoming foreign ministers’ meeting?
In addition to nuclear disarmament, a topic so closely associated with Hiroshima, we will be looking at a whole range of current international issues, including the war in Syria, the conflict in Ukraine, and the fight against terrorism. I am particularly pleased that Japan remains committed to one of the priorities of the German G7 presidency, “maritime security.”
I hope that this meeting with my G7 colleagues will provide significant impetus on all these subjects. This forum, comprising seven countries with such a wide range of views and positions, is particularly suited to developing viable, realistic approaches to solutions. A look at the ongoing crises makes it clear that we can find practicable approaches only if we trust in the power of diplomacy and in the power of dialogue.
What are your thoughts on the path toward “a world without nuclear weapons”?
Germany is committed to the goal of “a world free from nuclear weapons.” At the same time, we all realise that we have a very long way to go. The latest nuclear test in North Korea, for example, is a reminder that, on the way to “Global Zero,” we have to deal with regional conflicts with a nuclear dimension as well.
In my view, it is regrettable that President Obama’s offer from the summer of 2013 to embark on a new round of nuclear disarmament talks with Russia has not yet been taken up. It is clear that “Global Zero” is a task spanning generations which can only be achieved with many small and large steps. But there is no alternative path.
Do you have any suggestions as to what the youth of Hiroshima can do to promote peace?
An open exchange between civil societies is one good way of creating trust, swapping experiences and developing ideas as to how we can work together for disarmament and peace. The dialogue among young people from many different countries would have to look also at difficult issues such as reckoning with the past and could involve people from neighboring states such as China and Korea in the first instance, but also from other parts of the world. I also encourage young people in Hiroshima to seek dialogue with politicians and decision-makers.
(Originally published on April 1, 2016)
Read the full interview here.
