Video Message by Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio at the International Symposium hosted by Hiroshima City and the World Bank

 
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan.
 
I am very pleased that my hometown Hiroshima city and the World Bank will have a new partnership under the City Partnership Program to share knowledge and experiences on urban development to the world, and that this event is about learning from Hiroshima’s experience, a city which has achieved remarkable reconstruction after war from burned fields to a major city within western Japan. For all those from Ukraine, Eastern European and Central Asian countries who have gathered here today, welcome to Hiroshima.
 
There is still an ongoing war in Ukraine. Russia's aggression against Ukraine challenges the very rules and principles of the international community, and any attempts to change the status quo by force is absolutely unacceptable. Under the Japanese G7 Presidency, Japan is continuing to support Ukraine in its fight against this invasion. As part of this effort, we announced last month that Japan will take the lead in providing additional financial support worth 5.5 billion US dollars in cooperation with the World Bank for Ukraine and have been working on relevant legislative revisions.
 
Threats by Russia to use nuclear weapons must not be tolerated, as it risks tarnishing the past 77 years of nuclear-free history.
 
Against the threat of Russia's use of nuclear weapons, it is of great significance to invite to Hiroshima, Ukrainian people facing war for a discussion on reconstruction and growth.
 
Hiroshima has a wealth of knowledge on the process of post war urban reconstruction and growth, and I strongly hope that this experience can lead to furthering the development agenda in your respective countries.
 
The G7 Summit will be held here in Hiroshima in May. I strongly condemn any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally by force. Japan will continue to convey to the world Japan’s commitment to defend the international order based on the rule of law and aim to realize a world free of nuclear weapons as the only nation to have ever suffered an atomic bomb attack. Together with other like-minded countries, we hope to support Ukraine's efforts for a speedy reconstruction by leveraging Japanese knowledge and experience.
 
I would like to conclude my remarks by wishing today's event a success, and I hope for the cooperation between the City of Hiroshima and the World Bank to continue to deepen going forward. Thank you very much.