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Prime Minister Welcomes VIPs to Games (February 8)
At a reception held in a Nagano City hotel following the Opening Ceremony on February 7, Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto welcomed foreign dignitaries who had come to Japan for the first day of the Winter Olympics. The prime minister opened the reception with the words: "Let there be peace throughout the world beginning tomorrow. The Olympic Games are a festival of peace, and peace is what all of Japan wishes for. I wish the young competitors from around the globe the best of luck in their events."Hashimoto also spoke with International Olympic Committee Chairman Juan Antonio Samaranch about the current problems in Iraq, where the United Nations is looking for weapons of mass destruction. The two agreed that it would be best if the issue could be resolved through diplomacy.
In other talks with Hashimoto, Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy agreed to keep working toward a complete ban on land mines. The prime minister also thanked Chris Moon, a British man who lost his arm and leg to a land mine, for running in the Olympic torch relay earlier that day. Mr. Moon said he was "very happy to run with the children in the ceremony."
Other guests at the reception included King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik of Norway, and the sports and culture ministers from many nations. (Shinano Mainichi Shimbun)