April 12, 2010
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Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has left for Washington, where he will attend a nuclear security summit.
Hatoyama will join the leaders of 46 other countries, including Russia and China, at the 2-day summit that begins on Monday. The summit was proposed by US President Barack Obama, who sees nuclear terrorism as the most serious threat to global security.
A special aircraft carrying Hatoyama left Tokyo's Haneda airport shortly after noon on Monday.Earlier, Hatoyama told reporters that the nuclear security summit is important, noting that international cooperation will be needed in eradicating the threat of nuclear terrorism.
Japan suffered nuclear attacks toward the end of World War Two. The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945 and another on Nagasaki 3 days later.
As the leader of the only atom-bombed country, Hatoyama will announce Japan's plans to contribute to efforts to counter the threat of nuclear terrorism and nuclear proliferation at the summit. The plans include training personnel from other Asian countries in safety management of nuclear materials and expanding Japan's financial contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Hatoyama is expected to have unofficial talks with Obama at a dinner for the summit participants on Monday. Hatoyama will use the occasion to explain his government's ideas on relocating the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa and to seek US cooperation.
2010/04/12 13:10(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
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