Courtesy Call on Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, by Delegation of the Middle Powers Initiative (MPI)

December 9, 2009
Japanese

A delegation of the Middle Powers Initiative (MPI) paid a courtesy call on Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on December 9 (Wed) for about thirty minutes starting at 10 a.m.

During the courtesy call, they exchanged views regarding the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), efforts towards realizing “a world without nuclear weapons,” and regional affairs in Northeast Asia.

(Reference) The Middle Powers Initiative (MPI)

(1) This campaign was started by an international network of NGOs. Its goal is to cooperate with the governments of influential “middle powers” to encourage the start of necessary negotiations to abolish nuclear weapons with the leaders of nuclear-weapon states. It was established in 1998 by the initiative of Mr. Douglas Roche, Senator and former Canadian Disarmament Ambassador.

(2) Since 2005, MPI has held a yearly international forum conference called the “Article VI Forum.” At the Forum, views are exchanged centered on non-nuclear weapons states, including proposals to the 2010 NPT Review Conference.

(3) The members of the delegation for the courtesy call on Minister Okada were as follows:
　・Dr. Jonathan Granoff, MPI Steering Committee Member; President, Global Security Institute
　・Amb. Robert T. Grey, Jr., Former US Representative, the Conference on Disarmament
　・Dr. Kate Dewes, UN Secretary General Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters
　・Dr. Hiromichi Umebayashi, MPI International Steering Committee; President, Peace Depot
　・Ms. Keiko Nakamura, Secretary-General, Peace Depot
　・Mr. Hiroyuki Nagumo, General Secretary, Japanese Trade Union Confederation

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