WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Barack Obama has said he would be honored to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese cities devastated by atomic bombs during World War II.
Obama made the comment in an interview with Japanese public broadcaster NHK on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to Japan.
"The memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are etched in the minds of the world and I would be honored to have the opportunity to visit those cities at some point during my presidency," Obama was quoted as saying. He explained that he would not visit the cities on his upcoming visit due to begin Friday because of scheduling restraints.
In a speech in Prague in April, Obama spoke of the United States' "commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons," and the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have joined groups representing atomic bomb survivors and other organizations in calling for Obama to visit the two cities. If he does visit the cities during his presidency, he would be the first sitting president to do so. There have been strong arguments in the U.S. against a presidential visit to the cities.
Meanwhile, a high-ranking U.S. government official on Monday indicated that there would be a chance of the president visiting Hiroshima and Nagasaki if he were invited to ceremonies in the cities to make him an honorary citizen, saying he hoped that the cities would bestow such a title on Obama.
(Mainichi Japan) November 10, 2009
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