TOKYO, Japan (RTV/CNN) – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo Wednesday to promote the importance of nuclear disarmament ahead of his scheduled August 9th attendance of an annual ceremony marking the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
Japan is the only nation in history to ever be hit by an atomic bomb during World War Two—Nagaski being the second city to fall victim in 1945, three days after Hiroshima was hit.
Guterres expressed his support toward ongoing negotiations between the United States and North Korea urging Pyongyang’s complete nuclear disarmament and added there should be “no more Nagasaki, no more Hiroshima.
Guterres said, “The battle for non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, especially important in the moment if it’s absolutely central to achieve the denuclearization of North Korea and to avoid the escalation of the crisis in the Middle East and Iran.
“I fully support the negotiations taking place in the United States and DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) with the objective that we all share to see a total denuclearization that is verifiable, that is irreversible to make sure that North Korea can be a normal member of the international community in this region.
“No more Nagasaki. Nevermore, Hiroshima. Not any more ‘Hibakusha’ being necessary, is also the message of the United Nations.”
Guterres’ trip will mark the first time a U.N. Secretary-General attends the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony held every year.
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