New Delhi: US President Biden congratulated winners of the Nobel Peace prize, emphasizing the importance of their work in preventing the use of nuclear weapons and advocating for a world free from their threat. The Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 has been awarded to the Japanese group Nihon Hidankyo, for work to raise awareness about the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons.
President Biden congratulated the members of Nihon Hidankyo for serving as a human testament to the catastrophic human toll of nuclear weapons and for sharing a story that humanity needs to hear. He also congratulated Japan for the recognition, highlighting the nation’s “moral clarity and steadfast commitment” to preventing the spread and use of nuclear weapons.
President Biden stressed the urgency of nuclear disarmament, stating, “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.” He reaffirmed the United States’ readiness to engage in discussions with Russia, China, and North Korea, “without preconditions,” to reduce the nuclear threat.
The President emphasized that reducing nuclear arsenals is crucial, not despite the current global challenges, but precisely because of them, as these weapons erode international norms and agreements and undermine the vital work of peace advocates like Nihon Hidankyo.