Japan Not to Attend Nuclear Ban Treaty Meeting

Tokyo, Jan. 25 (Jiji Press)--Japan will not participate as an observer in a meeting in the United States in March of signatories to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, government and ruling coalition officials said Saturday.

Instead, the country is considering sending lawmakers from the ruling bloc to the meeting, the officials said.

The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, which won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, and Komeito, a partner in the ruling coalition, have been calling on the government to take part in the meeting.

But Japan needs to take into consideration its reliance on the U.S. nuclear umbrella for its defense as the country faces growing security threats including the escalation of military activities by China and Russia, the officials said.

Sending lawmakers from the ruling coalition will help Japan underscore its determination to abolish nuclear weapons, the officials said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]