Pope urges world leaders to abolish nuclear weapons

TOKYO: Pope Francis appealed on Monday to world leaders to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used again, a day after he visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only cities ever to be hit by atomic bombs.

Nuclear disarmament has been a key theme of the pope’s trip to Japan, a country not only haunted by the memory of the two attacks that ended World War Two but also alarmed by the nuclear programme and missile tests of nearby North Korea. “(I) invite all persons of good will to encourage and promote every necessary means of dissuasion so that the destruction generated by atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki will never take place again in human history,” Pope Francis told dignitaries including Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe said Japan was committed to a world free of nuclear weapons. In an apparent reference to the tensions with North Korea, Pope Francis said dialogue was “the only weapon worthy of man and capable of ensuring lasting peace”. Pyongyang has conducted seven missile tests since US President Donald Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this year. One of North Korea’s top nuclear negotiators said on Friday it would be the fault of the United States if diplomacy on the issue broke down.