Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will attend the third Preparatory Committee session for the 2026 Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to be held in New York from April 28, government sources said Friday.
Iwaya will be the first Japanese foreign minister to attend such a meeting since April 2018. His participation is aimed at demonstrating Japan's commitment to the NPT regime, according to the sources.
He is expected to deliver a speech at the meeting to reiterate Tokyo's determination to achieve nuclear disarmament and abolition.
Last month, the government did not participate in the third meeting of signatories to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, held in New York, although it was asked to do so by the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, or Nihon Hidankyo, which won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. At that time, Iwaya stated that it was desirable to promote international nuclear disarmament under the NPT.
"It's more important than ever to maintain and strengthen the NPT regime, which is the cornerstone of international nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation," Iwaya told a news conference Friday. "I'll do my best to achieve substantial results."
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