All through the years since World War II, the Japanese people have, I am convinced, made strenuous efforts to preserve and promote world peace, contributing to the progress and prosperity of mankind.

The international order established at the end of World War II could certainly have been worse. However, this order did contain certain factors which bore within them the seeds of instability.

It is the earnest hope of our people that the world may see the day when all nuclear weapons are abolished.

It is only natural that for any statesman at the helm of any government the question of his country's security should be a concern of the utmost importance.

If the attainment of peace is the ultimate objective of all statesmen, it is, at the same time, something very ordinary, closely tied to the daily life of each individual.

All through the years since World War II, the Japanese people have, I am convinced, made strenuous efforts to preserve and promote world peace, contributing to the progress and prosperity of mankind.

The desire to see Okinawa returned to Japan developed into a broad national consensus among our people.