“Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during the ceremony that Japan, as the only nation to have suffered atomic bombing in the war, will continue to work towards a world without nuclear weapons. Kishida expressed concern about growing international divisions regarding nuclear disarmament, citing the nuclear threat from Russia as an obstacle in this path. In front of dignitaries from 111 countries, he urged them to recover the global momentum towards the achievement of this objective.
The prime minister stressed the importance of avoiding a repeat of the devastation that Hiroshima and Nagasaki experienced due to nuclear weapons. His words resonated with the message issued by António Guterres, leader of the United Nations, who criticized the reckless nuclear threat of some countries and reiterated that any use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable.
On this occasion, the Japanese government excluded Russia and Belarus from the event due to their involvement in the war with Ukraine, marking the second time this measure has been taken.
Kishida’s call and Guterres’s remarks highlight the importance of international cooperation in addressing nuclear disarmament and the need to maintain dialogue at a time when tensions and divisions threaten global security. The commemoration of the tragic events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki serves as a reminder of the horrors of nuclear weapons and reaffirms the commitment of Japan and the international community to a future free from this devastating threat.”