Japan, Germany to cooperate over nuclear disarmament, U.N. reform

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BERLIN, Sept. 7 Kyodo -
Visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and his German counterpart
Guido Westerwelle said Tuesday they will work together to try to realize a
nuclear-free world and reform of the United Nations Security Council so that
they can acquire permanent membership.
Okada urged Westerwelle to take part in a meeting of nonnuclear states to
promote nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation on the sidelines of a U.N.
General Assembly meeting in New York later this month.
At a joint press conference, the German minister expressed his eagerness to
participate in the meeting to be co-sponsored by Japan and Australia, saying he
intends to contribute to disarmament and world peace.
Okada told the news conference that more than 10 countries are expected to
attend the meeting to achieve a nuclear-free world, while Westerwelle said he
will call on nonnuclear states in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to
join the gathering.
The two foreign ministers urged the global community in an article they
contributed to The Wall Street Journal on Saturday to step up cooperation to
strip the world of nuclear weapons.
Okada and Westerwelle also reaffirmed cooperation in their efforts to stabilize
Afghanistan and in exploring the possibility of launching free trade
negotiations between Japan and the European Union.
==Kyodo
2010-09-08 00:07:29