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NEW YORK (Mainichi) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sept. 23 announced at the United Nations that his country will dispatch hibakusha, or survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, overseas next year, which will mark the 80th anniversary of the attacks.
Kishida announced the move during a high-level meeting of friendly countries anticipating the start of talks on a proposed Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), which would ban the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons. He emphasized, “Along with the wish for a world without nuclear weapons, it is necessary to reiterate to the world the reality of the atomic bombings.”
The prime minister laid out three pillars for deepening understanding of the topic: dispatching hibakusha overseas, promoting visits from around the world to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and improving foreign communications.
The high-level meetings by the Friends of FMCT were announced by Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa this March, and Japan led the first meeting on Sept. 23. Twelve countries are involved, including nuclear-armed nations such as the United States, Great Britain and France. Kishida, who has said reducing nuclear arms is his life’s work, led the proceedings as chairperson.
When announcing the dispatch, Kishida emphasized how the hibakusha are advancing in years, and stated, “We remain committed to supporting realistic steps toward a world without nuclear weapons. We will continue to move forward in our efforts toward nuclear disarmament.”
After the meeting, the participating countries issued a joint press release affirming that, among other things, the FMCT will significantly contribute to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation efforts.
(Japanese original by Tetsuya Kageyama, Political News Department)