German Foreign Minister Visits Nagasaki
Germany's foreign minister has traveled to the atomic-bombed city of Nagasaki, western Japan, stressing her country's commitment to realizing a world without nuclear weapons.
Annalena Baerbock visited the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum in the city on Sunday. She received an explanation from officials, including Nagasaki Mayor Taue Tomihisa, about the extent of damage caused by the atomic bombing on August 9, 1945.
Baerbock then went to the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, where a list of atomic-bomb victims is stored.
She wrote in a guest book that Germany's commitment to ridding the world of nuclear weapons will not wane because there is a risk of a dreadful reality occurring again as long as nuclear arms exist.
Baerbock met Tanaka Shigemitsu, who heads the Nagasaki Atomicbomb Survivors Council. The minister listened to Tanaka's account of the atomic bombing that he experienced when he was 4 years old.
Tanaka told her that realizing a peaceful world requires building relationships of trust through exchanges and diplomacy, not through confrontations and force.
Baerbock responded that Tanaka's tale described the cruelty of war. She underscored the importance of passing on such witness accounts to future generations.
After the meeting, Tanaka told reporters he thought the minister listened to his story seriously and that he hopes she will play a central role in easing tensions in Europe.
Tanaka commented on Germany's participation as an observer in last month's meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
He said countries are hoping to have nuclear weapons abolished even if they are under the US nuclear umbrella.
Germany, one of NATO's main members, attended the meeting although the country attaches importance to deterrence under the US nuclear umbrella amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Tanaka said the government of Japan, the only atomic-bombed country, should take part in the next meeting to raise people's awareness of suffering of the victims and survivors of the attack.
Baerbock is scheduled to meet Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa in Tokyo on Monday.