TOKYO, August 9 (Prensa Latina) Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki called for nuclear disarmament today, when the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing carried out by the United States on that Japanese city will be commemorated.
The announcement was made during the annual peace ceremony held at the Nagasaki Dejima Messe Convention Center in the Southern Prefecture.
With the quorum approaching Typhoon Khanun, Suzuki stressed that nuclear-weapon states must show courage and free themselves from dependence on nuclear deterrence.
He also urged the Japanese government to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as soon as possible.
For the first time in six decades, the official ceremony was moved from the Nagasaki Peace Park to a closed venue for security reasons.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida did not attend the ceremony, but sent a videotaped message offering his heartfelt condolences to the souls of the victims and condolences to those still suffering from the effects of the injured.
He noted that the unspeakable tragedy that occurred 78 years ago in Nagasaki and the suffering it caused must never be repeated.
“As the only country in the world that suffered from the atomic bombing, Japan will continue to make unremitting efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. This is the mission of our country and it will not change.”
The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively, killed about 214,000 people due to the direct impact of the explosion and as a result of the radiation.
Until the end of March, the government counted 113,649 “hibakusha” (survivors of the nuclear attack), whose average age was over 85 years.
The number decreased by 5,346 compared to the previous year.
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