One year has passed since the series of terrorist attacks in the United States of America on September 11 last year. Many precious lives were lost in these terrorist attacks, including the lives of 24 Japanese nationals, and many more people have been adversely affected by the events of one year ago.

Today, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is attending the Ceremony of Remembrance in New York, where he will once again express his condolences. The Government of Japan expresses once again its deepest condolences for all the victims and their bereaved families. The series of terrorist attacks were a vicious and unforgivable attack on the whole of humanity.

Japan remains resolved to continue to tackle the enormous challenge of eradicating terrorism in cooperation with the other countries of the world.