On November 20 last year, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, who is the President of Mayors for Peace, together with the Vice President of Mayors for Peace, Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue, visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and submitted to Senior Vice-Minister Eiichiro Washio a petition addressed to the Prime Minister on the promotion of initiatives for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
　In response, Senior Vice-Minister Washio said "We take the content of this petition seriously. It is Japan's mission to lead initiatives among the global community to create a world without nuclear weapons, as Japan is the only nation to have been attacked by nuclear weapons during war. Japan believes that it is important to create a common foundation for nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states, and we are moving ahead with initiatives to act as a bridge between nations that hold different positions. I would like to express once again my respect for your activities in this field, and thank you for your constant support."