Opening Address Tomihisa Taue Mayor of Nagasaki Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for coming all the way to Nagasaki to attend the 4th Nagasaki Global Citizens� Assembly for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. I would like to extend my heartfelt welcome to NGO members from in and outside Japan. At the same time, I am delighted to see so many citizens of Nagasaki City and Nagasaki Prefecture. I also appreciate the presence of Mr. Takashi Yoshihara, Chairman of the Nagasaki City Assembly, and many other members of the City Assembly. During 2009, we saw a new surge of momentum toward the abolition of nuclear weapons. Following President Obama's speech in Prague, in which he clearly stated "America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,� various initiatives have been taken toward this goal. At the UN Security Council of September 2009, for instance, a new resolution was adopted toward realizing "a world without nuclear weapons."At the Japan-U.S. summit held during President Obama's visit to Japan, a joint statement was issued that stipulates the goal of realizing a world without nuclear weapons. These facts represent an unprecedented level of enthusiasm for the abolition of nuclear weapons. In this environment, together with the mayor of Hiroshima City I have visited embassies in Japan of nuclear powers and suspected nuclear powers, to request leaders of their respective countries to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki before the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to be held in May 2010. To request that President Obama visit Nagasaki, we have collected signatures from about 76,000 people. To present the petition signed by all those people, Mr. Hideo Tsuchiyama, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of this Assembly, recently visited the American Embassy in Japan. At that time, Mr. Yoshihara and I accompanied Mr. Tsuchiyama, and expressed the ardent wishes of Nagasaki citizens for a visit by President Obama. To participate in this 4th Nagasaki Global Citizens' Assembly and related events being held during the Assembly, I understand that many NGO members have gathered here in Nagasaki from around the world. It is my sincere hope that at the plenary session and three workshops, as well as in other events organized by Peace Groups, including the NGO booths, you will all hold lively discussions about ways to realize a peaceful world. I also truly hope that you will build a global network so as to realize nuclear abolition, and through that network impart to people worldwide our ardent desire to eliminate nuclear weaponry. Moreover, it is my hope that by imparting voices of A-bomb survivors to people worldwide, the Assembly will trigger many more campaigns around the world to arouse public opinion calling for nuclear abolition. I also expect that the coming Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) will adopt the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol, which stipulates the roadmap toward nuclear abolishment by 2020. Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Hideo Tsuchiyama, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, and other members, for their efforts in preparing for this Assembly. I also express my earnest wishes for the continued good health and prosperity of the speakers, panelists and all audience members at this Assembly. Thank you very much.