US President Joe Biden has congratulated Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization representing survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for winning this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
The White House released Biden’s statement on Sunday, two days after the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the group as the winner of the prize.
Biden’s statement notes, “For decades, the members of Nihon Hidankyo have served as a human testament to the catastrophic human toll of nuclear weapons, telling a story that humanity needs to hear.”
He adds, “On behalf of the United States, I congratulate them on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their historic work to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used again.”
Biden says, “As I was powerfully reminded last year when I visited Hiroshima and met with a survivor of the bombing, we must continue making progress toward the day when we can finally and forever rid the world of nuclear weapons.”
During his visit to Hiroshima in May last year, Biden wrote a similar message at the peace memorial museum.
Biden also says in his statement, “The United States stands ready to engage in talks with Russia, China and North Korea without preconditions to reduce the nuclear threat.”