Japan Press Weekly

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2008 June 4 - 10 [ANTI-N-ARMS]

Gensuikyo petitions Foreign Ministry for abolition of nuclear weapons to be taken up at G8 Summit

Representatives of the Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Gensuikyo) on June 6 visited the Foreign Ministry to submit a petition signed by Hokkaido’s municipal heads urging the Japanese Government to take up the issue of abolishing nuclear weapons as a major agenda item at the G8 Toyako Summit in July.

In response to the call of the peace march organizing committee in Hokkaido which reached out to 150 out of Hokkaido’s 180 municipalities in May, 101mayors as well as 58 local assembly chairs agreed to sign the petition to the government.

Akamatsu Koichi, Gensuikyo representative director, emphasized, “The Japanese government should take seriously the petition from the many local government heads and local assembly chairs in Hokkaido, where the G-8 Summit will be held. As the A-bombed nation, Japan should propose discussing the issue of abolition of nuclear weapons at the Summit.”

The Foreign Ministry’s Arms Control and Disarmament Division Principal Deputy Director Otaka Jun’ichiro answered that this is an important matter and the petition will be transmitted to Foreign Minister Komura Masahiko.
- Akahata, June 10, 2008