What happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated. The destructive force unleashed and the immeasurable suffering caused by the dropping of these bombs on people in both cities remain a grave reminder to us all, even 80 years on – namely, that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.

The awarding of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize to the Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo sends an important signal and honours the remembrance work of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Against the background of the suffering of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as concerns that an uncontrollable number of nuclear-weapon states may arise, the Non-Proliferation Treaty was born. Together with France and the United Kingdom, we consistently campaign for maintaining and strengthening the Non-Proliferation Treaty and are dedicated to ensuring that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons, and that the crisis in connection with Iran’s nuclear programme is resolved through diplomatic means.

Unfortunately, we also see countries like Russia engage in nuclear blackmail, thereby calling into question the nuclear order and its function as a central pillar of global security.

To safeguard peace and security, we must continue to bolster our deterrence and defence capabilities, while continuing to work with determination to promote the international order.