Statement by Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on the release of the U.S. Nuclear Posture Review (NPR)

April 7, 2010
Japanese

The United States Government released its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) on Tuesday 6, April.
Japan welcomes the NPR which clearly states the U.S. policy to reduce the role and the number of nuclear weapons while enhancing security of the U.S. and its allies and partners. Furthermore, Japan appreciates the statement by the U.S. that it is prepared to strengthen its long-standing negative security assurance by expressing its willingness not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states in compliance with the nuclear non-proliferation obligations of the NPT. Japan considers this development to be a concrete first step towards a world without nuclear weapons advocated by President Obama.
Through this NPR, the U.S. reassures its commitment to its allies including Japan and partners to provide deterrence, including that by nuclear weapons. The NPR also states that it continues to closely consult with allies and partners to ensure this commitment.
Japan believes that these U.S. nuclear policies contribute not only to the security of Japan but also to the peace and stability of the international society. In addition, the U.S. approach to actively promote nuclear disarmament while maintaining security is in line with Japan’s policy. In this context, Japan highly values the new NPR by its ally, the U.S.
Japan strongly hopes that all countries possessing nuclear weapons implement concrete nuclear reduction measures, maximizing the momentum built by the release of the NPR and the NPT Review Conference to be held in May. Japan also expects that all nuclear weapon states besides the U.S. make efforts for strengthening of their negative security assurance and to deepen the discussion on the “sole purpose,” the concept which limits the purpose of possessing nuclear weapons to the deterrence against use of nuclear weapons. Furthermore, Japan welcomes the signing of a treaty between the U.S. and Russia to reduce their strategic nuclear weapons on April 8. Japan hopes that other nuclear weapon states also continue their efforts to reduce both strategic and non-strategic nuclear weapons.

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