Press Releases
Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the Speech by President Barack Obama of the United States in Berlin
June 20, 2013
1. During a speech in Berlin on June 19 (local time), President Barack Obama of the United States announced additional steps regarding nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
2. In a speech in Prague four years ago, President Obama declared his aim of seeking the peace and security of “a world without nuclear weapons.” Japan welcomes that in the Berlin speech this time, he indicated that he would continue to take a proactive approach by stating to seek negotiations with Russia on the reduction of deployed strategic nuclear weapons by up to one-third and also the bold reductions of tactical nuclear weapons, to make efforts towards the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), and to host a nuclear security summit in 2016. Japan holds high expectations that this speech by President Obama will increase momentum of global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, involving other nuclear weapon states.
3. At the same time, the Government of Japan is encouraged by the statement that the United States can ensure the security of its allies and maintain a deterrent while making further reduction of nuclear weapons as announced this time. Japan will continue to ensure the deterrence of the Japan-US Alliance for Japan and the region through close communication with the United States.
4. Going forward, Japan will continue to strengthen collaboration with the international community including the United States with the aim of achieving “a world without nuclear weapons,” and intends to lead initiatives for international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation through forums such as the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Hiroshima in April next year.
(* The foregoing is a provisional translation. The date indicated above denotes the date of issue of the original in Japanese.)
2. In a speech in Prague four years ago, President Obama declared his aim of seeking the peace and security of “a world without nuclear weapons.” Japan welcomes that in the Berlin speech this time, he indicated that he would continue to take a proactive approach by stating to seek negotiations with Russia on the reduction of deployed strategic nuclear weapons by up to one-third and also the bold reductions of tactical nuclear weapons, to make efforts towards the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), and to host a nuclear security summit in 2016. Japan holds high expectations that this speech by President Obama will increase momentum of global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, involving other nuclear weapon states.
3. At the same time, the Government of Japan is encouraged by the statement that the United States can ensure the security of its allies and maintain a deterrent while making further reduction of nuclear weapons as announced this time. Japan will continue to ensure the deterrence of the Japan-US Alliance for Japan and the region through close communication with the United States.
4. Going forward, Japan will continue to strengthen collaboration with the international community including the United States with the aim of achieving “a world without nuclear weapons,” and intends to lead initiatives for international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation through forums such as the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Hiroshima in April next year.
(* The foregoing is a provisional translation. The date indicated above denotes the date of issue of the original in Japanese.)