Hiroshima - a symbol of non-nuclear solidarity.

SGGP 20/05/2023 10:22

The Group of Seven (G7) summit officially opened with a visit by G7 leaders to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

G7 leaders visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Photo: NIKKEI ASIA

This is the first time all G7 leaders, including the three nuclear powers of the US, UK, and France, have visited the museum together.

It is no coincidence that Hiroshima was chosen as the venue for this conference. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima left an unforgettable mark on the city's residents, as well as on Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum preserves the remnants of the atomic bombing of the western Japanese city on August 6, 1945, by the United States.

As the driving force behind the decision to hold the summit here, Prime Minister Kishida emphasized the need for G7 leaders to witness firsthand the consequences of using atomic bombs, given that momentum toward a world without nuclear weapons is not yet strong.

Although the world has made significant progress in preventing nuclear proliferation, the reality is that many threats from this weapon of mass destruction remain. The process of nuclear arms reduction worldwide is very slow, and the major powers continue to modernize their nuclear weapons systems.

With the ambition to realize a world without nuclear weapons – one of his main political goals – Prime Minister Kishida has set nuclear disarmament as the central topic on the agenda of this G7 summit, considering it the starting point for all future nuclear disarmament efforts.

According to Kishida, instead of aiming for nuclear disarmament in a single step, the first practical step could be a commitment not to deploy such weapons through this conference. In a speech in Washington in January, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stressed that the world should not underestimate the fact that no nuclear weapons have been used in the past 77 years.

The world is witnessing major crises that are shaking the foundations of the international order. The main objective of this conference is to strengthen the international order based on the rule of law, to demonstrate a strong determination to protect this order, and to oppose the use of nuclear weapons and the use of force to change the status quo.

With many countries threatening to increase their nuclear arsenals, the location of Hiroshima is seen as a symbolic opportunity for the G7 to unite in calling for disarmament and the non-deployment of nuclear weapons.

Hiroshima is also calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and by showcasing the "spirit of Hiroshima" heritage, the Land of the Rising Sun hopes that, in addition to the message of a peaceful world without nuclear weapons, its local cuisine and traditional culture will become widely known both in Japan and abroad.

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