Foreign minister: Nuclear weapons abolition is not realistic

Foreign Minister Kawaguchi Yoriko rejected the public call for the immediate elimination of nuclear weapons when asked what steps the government should take.

In the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee meeting on July 12, the minister stated that it is not appropriate to call for the elimination of nuclear weapons, separating them from conventional weapons. Such a way will rather destroy the balance of nuclear deterrence, she argued.

Maintaining that nuclear weapons should be abolished together with conventional weapons, Kawaguchi regarded the task of nuclear weapons abolition as the ultimate goal.

Japanese Communist Party Matsumoto Zenmei insisted that Japan, as the only atomic-bombed country in the world, is responsible for taking actions to abolish nuclear weapons.

The foreign minister, however, dismisses the task by only adhering to U.S. nuclear policy, Matsumoto said.

Referring to recent remarks of the U.S. president and other high officials supporting the preemptive strike strategy and instructing the military to draft plans to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons countries, Matsumoto, said:

"The United Nations Charter Article 51 stipulates, 'Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations.' U.S. statements violate this provision. How can the Japanese government accept such a logic"?

Kawaguchi stated that the right to collective self-defense can be invoked when an enemy force starts to launch attacks, not when such an attack has caused damage, supporting the U.S. preemptive strike strategy. (end)