The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki called Friday for progress in discussions on nuclear disarmament within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said he and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue made the call when they met with Henk Cor van der Kwast, chairman of the NPT Preparatory Committee, on the sidelines of the committee's meeting in Vienna.
"If the countries possessing nuclear weapons make strenuous efforts toward nuclear abolition, the number of countries wishing to possess nuclear weapons will decrease," Matsui said.
Matsui also expressed hope that van der Kwast will play a leadership role in making progress toward nuclear disarmament. He quoted the chairman as saying in talks with the mayors that he would strive to help produce tangible results.
An NPT review conference, which takes place every five years, will next be held in 2020. The last meeting in 2015 ended without adopting a consensus document outlining actions for the next five years.