Top U.S. envoy Roos makes his 1st visit to Nagasaki+

NAGASAKI, Sept. 26 Kyodo -
U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos traveled to Nagasaki on Sunday for the first
time since he assumed his post in August last year, becoming the fourth top
U.S. envoy to do so, according to Nagasaki Prefecture.
After arriving at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum with his wife Susan, Roos
shook hands with Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue and museum curator Tomoo Kurokawa
before viewing the exhibits related to the 1945 atomic bombing of the
southwestern Japanese city by the United States in World War II.
The ambassador wrote on a notebook for visitors, ''Our visit today has
reinforced for me the importance of President (Barack) Obama's resolve to work
with all nations towards the peace and security of a world without nuclear
weapons.''
Taue conveyed to him his request for Obama to visit Nagasaki.
After leaving the museum, Roos went to the monument marking ground zero to
offer flowers.
He is due to meet with Nagasaki Gov. Hodo Nakamura on Monday.
Roos attended a ceremony on Aug. 6 to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the
U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, becoming the first U.S.
representative to do so. But, citing scheduling conflicts, he skipped a similar
memorial service on Aug. 9 in Nagasaki, which was devastated by an atomic bomb
dropped on the city three days after Hiroshima.
Prior to the ceremony in Hiroshima, Roos phoned Taue in July, informing the
mayor of his wish to visit Nagasaki.
The last U.S. ambassadorial visit to Nagasaki was made in 1994 by Walter Mondale.
==Kyodo