MPI Event Report
Tokyo, Japan
November 23, 2003
On November 21, 2002, a Middle Powers Initiative delegation led by Dr. David Krieger, President, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, met with top Japanese Foreign Ministry officials to discuss recent developments in the realm of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation and encourage Japan to play an active leadership role in pressing for the strengthening and full implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NTP).
The MPI delegation, which also included Mr. Masayoshi Takemura, former Finance Minister of Japan, and Dr. Hiromichi Umebayashi, President, Peace Depot, held a closed-door meeting with Ambassador Yukiya Amano, Director-General, Arms Control and Disarmament Division, and Mr. Yoshifumi Okamura, Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Division.
Presenting MPI's Briefing Paper, "Priorities for Preserving the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in the New Strategic Context" of August 2002, Dr. Krieger stressed the importance of Japan maintaining its pro-active role in working toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Dr. Umebayashi, referring to the recommendations contained in the Briefing Paper, called upon Japan to support the efforts of the New Agenda Coalition (Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sweden) and other like-minded middle power governments to achieve progress toward the irreversible and verifiable reduction of existing nuclear arsenals, and the entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The MPI Delegation further encouraged Japan to remove the reliance on nuclear weapons from its defense strategy.
Ambassador Amano and Mr. Okumara, thanking MPI for its tireless efforts to advance the nuclear abolition agenda, welcomed MPI's recommendations and promised to bring them to the attention of Japan's Foreign Minister, Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi. |
