Hiroshima, Nagasaki to Renew Push to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

Hiroshima/Nagasaki, Aug. 1 (Jiji Press)--The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki said Friday that they will renew their push to abolish nuclear weapons, at their respective annual peace ceremonies next week to mark the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of the western Japan cities.

In his speech at the Hiroshima ceremony set for Wednesday, Mayor Kazumi Matsui will warn that more world leaders are thinking that nuclear weapons are essential for national defense, according to its outline. He will call on leaders to immediately begin discussing a security framework based on trust through dialogue.

The speech will also include hibakusha atomic bomb survivors' experiences and a call for young people to initiate projects that can be carried out during daily life.

Matsui told a press conference that he will "strongly deliver the feelings of Hiroshima to people all over the world."

Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki in his speech at the ceremony on Aug. 9 will call on world leaders to chart a concrete path toward abolishing nuclear weapons, according to its outline. He will urge countries to stop wars immediately and express concern about nuclear war.

He will also share messages from hibakusha and on the cruelty of nuclear weapons by referring to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, or Nihon Hidankyo, which won last year's Nobel Peace Prize, as well as a speech by the late former Nihon Hidankyo co-chair Senji Yamaguchi.

"Amid the growing threat of nuclear war, we will call on people to act as global citizens, transcending race and borders, and create peace," Suzuki said at a separate press conference. He also expressed determination to pass on the messages of hibakusha to future generations.
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