It was reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with Pope Francis and other Vatican officials recently to discuss the need for a world free of nuclear weapons. The conference took place as nuclear-armed Russia continued its war in Ukraine and North Korea launched a ballistic missile into its eastern ocean, vowing to accelerate the development of its own nuclear arsenal. According to the report, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and Pope Francis spoke alone in a Vatican reception area for around 25 minutes. Later, Mr. Kishida met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin (the Vatican Secretary of State) and the Vatican Foreign Minister. The Vatican said in a statement that the conversations covered bilateral and international issues, with particular emphasis on the situation in Ukraine, stressing the importance of dialogue and peace and the need for a world free of nuclear weapons. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly pledged to develop nuclear weapons as quickly as possible and threatened to use them against adversaries. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters in Rome that the North Korea’s activities threaten the international community’s peace, safety, and stability. Pope Francis has reversed the church’s position on nuclear weapons, calling their possession “immoral.” He made the remarks during a visit to Japan in 2019, during which he paid tribute to survivors of the atomic bombings in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Source: Viewers Corner News.