On Aug. 1, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will become the first Japanese prime minister to address the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in New York. It is rare for national leaders to take part in NPT review conferences, which are usually held every five years, and Kishida's participation will highlight his enthusiastic commitment to nuclear issues. Kishida also will host the G7 summit when it is held in Hiroshima on May 19-21 next year. Both events will be stages on which we will be able to see whether there is a way forward for Kishida's vision of a world without nuclear weapons.
Addressing the NPT conference will give Kishida a concrete starting point as prime minister to continue his lifework on nuclear disarmament and abolition. In his speech, Kishida will emphasize his determination to serve as a bridge between nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapon states and will call for cooperation in achieving a "world without nuclear weapons."
