Japan: Monaco attends commemorations to mark 70th anniversary of atomic bombings

On 6 August 2015, H.E. Mr Patrick Médecin, Monaco’s Ambassador to Japan, took part in the ceremony to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima. The event was attended by 55,000 people, including representatives from 100 countries.

The Ambassador also participated in the commemoration ceremonies in Nagasaki on 9 August, together with delegations from 75 countries.

In his speech, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his intention to present a new resolution at the next session of the UN General Assembly, calling for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

To pay tribute to the victims, H.E. Mr Patrick Médecin and his wife paused for a moment’s silence at the memorial sites and laid wreaths of flowers.

In Hiroshima, close to the Genbaku Dome, which has become the Peace Memorial, the Ambassador took part in the Lantern Ceremony. In accordance with tradition and keen to recall the ongoing commitment of the Princes of Monaco to world peace, H.E. Mr Patrick Médecin placed a lantern bearing the following message into the water:

“Remembering the victims of Hiroshima is making a commitment to peace.

Let us work together to build a world of peace, justice and fraternity.”

The message takes its inspiration from Pope Saint John Paul II’s Appeal for Peace, launched during his visit to Hiroshima in February 1981.