ichitomo taninai

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to congratulate and express our sincere respect to those who have made tireless efforts over the years and again this year to hold this important event in Vienna with beautiful and insightful music performances and art exhibitions.

The atomic bomb awareness day to commemorate the use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945 respectively vividly reminds the Vienna community of the increasing importance for us to work together to achieve our common goal of a world without nuclear weapons. We welcome this event that has helped raise our consciousness in this regard.

Second, let me emphasise that Japan, as the only country to have suffered from the use of atomic bombings during the war, will continue to make its tireless efforts to pass on the reality of the use of atomic bombings across borders and generations.

Following the priceless efforts of the Hibakusha for so many years, now the “Youth Communicators for a World without Nuclear Weapons” commissioned by the Japanese government are continuing the work to pass on the realities of the use of nuclear weapons and hopes of the affected communities and people toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

In this regard, I would like to bring to your attention the new permanent exhibition “Towards a World Free of Nuclear Weapons” here at the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) exhibition area on the 5th Floor of G-Building displaying artefacts from the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki along with posters and photos showing the devastation following the atomic bombings in August 1945 that was opened in November last year.