Asahi wrote that in his policy speech in the Diet on Monday, Prime Minister Kishida expressed his intention to establish a new international conference for achieving a world without nuclear weapons with the goal of hosting the first meeting in Hiroshima by the end of this year or later. The paper wrote that the prime minister is hoping that both incumbent and former political leaders of both nuclear and nonnuclear powers will gather in Hiroshima to discuss nuclear disarmament. The paper wrote that Kishida, who is from Hiroshima, has strong feelings about nuclear disarmament and explored the possibility of attending the NPT review meeting this year. As foreign minister, Kishida was involved in then-President Obama’s visit to Hiroshima in 2016. According to the paper, a senior Kantei official has expressed hope that former President Obama will participate in the conference. The paper added, however, that although Japan is hoping to serve as a bridge between nuclear and nonnuclear powers, it remains to be seen whether the new conference will be effective in this endeavor.