By TARO KOTEGAWA/ Staff Writer
May 17, 2023 at 18:03 JST
Flowers arranged to form the phrase “G7 Hiroshima” adorn the south side of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on April 19. (Yuhei Kyono)
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will welcome Group of Seven leaders at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, where the Atomic Bomb Dome is located, on the opening day of their summit in Hiroshima on May 19.
The government has announced the main schedule and agenda of the three-day G-7 summit, which will run through May 21.
Arrangements are being made for the leaders to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which houses exhibits depicting the devastating aftermath of the world’s first atomic bomb that was dropped on the city on Aug. 6, 1945.
The G-7 leaders are expected to cover a wide range of topics, including the Ukraine war, nuclear disarmament, economic security and cooperation with the Global South, which are emerging and developing countries mainly in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation will be the major topics of discussion on the opening day. The leaders are expected to address the Ukraine conflict with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy participating online.
On May 20, the second day, the leaders will talk about strengthening the resilience of crucial supply chains and economic security, including economic coercion through the use of resources.
They will also exchange views on ties between the Global South and the G-7 nations.
On May 21, the final day, the G-7 leaders and leaders of the eight other invited countries, including India, will visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
Following the closing session, Kishida, as the leader of the host country, will hold a news conference to discuss the outcome of the summit.
Security at the summit will be tight, with the National Police Agency announcing on May 16 that up to around 24,000 security personnel will be deployed to the city.
The NPA said the deployment of uniformed police officers has been slightly beefed up from the previous plan, in light of the April 15 incident where an explosive device was tossed at Kishida during a campaign event in the city of Wakayama.
Kishida was not injured in the blast and a police officer and a 70-year-old man in the audience sustained mild injuries.
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