Society

U.S. envoy, Kishida visit Hiroshima memorial amid nuclear fears

Mar 27 (Nikkei) - U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited an atomic bomb memorial site in Hiroshima on Saturday, in a show of support for a world without nuclear weapons as fears about Russia using the devastating arms are growing.

Emanuel, a former top aide to former President Barack Obama, and Kishida, a lawmaker representing a constituency in the city, offered flowers for the victims of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing at the Peace Memorial Park near ground zero and visited the Peace Memorial Museum.

"There is a real concern that Russia could use nuclear weapons," Kishida said, referring to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, when he met with the ambassador after visiting the park. "They must not be used."

Their visit to one of the two atomic-bombed cities in Japan comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin recently hinted at using nuclear weapons in the face of Ukraine's resistance and severe economic sanctions imposed by Western nations following its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

"The lessons of Hiroshima must be our North Star guiding us to a world free of war and open to peace. Let us have the courage and strength to heed the lessons represented in this museum," Emanuel wrote in a Twitter post after visiting the museum. ...continue reading

Source: TBS NEWS

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