[Title] Statement by Mr. Hirofumi Nakasone, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Speech by Mr. Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, on "A World without Nuclear Weapons"

1. On April 5 (Sunday), Mr. Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, delivered a speech in Prague on "a world without nuclear weapons."

2. Japan, which has continually called for nuclear disarmament efforts by all nuclear weapon states, strongly supports President Obama’s clear statement of his intention to seek realistic and concrete ways for achieving "a world without nuclear weapons" that is peaceful and safe.

3. Japan especially welcomes President Obama’s renewed intention to conclude negotiations on a new treaty to succeed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty I (START I) by the end of this year, pursue ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and initiate negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT). Japan also welcomes his proposal for a new international effort on nuclear material management for preventing nuclear proliferation to terrorists and on holding a "Global Summit on Nuclear Security."

4. It is Japan’s strong expectation that these efforts by President Obama will increase momentum toward global nuclear disarmament involving other nuclear weapon states. To achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, and a successful 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), as its most immediate goal, Japan intends to continue strengthening cooperation with the international community, including the United States. I would like to announce Japan’s stance, including this idea, in my speech later in April.

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