On April 11, 2021, US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and French President Emmanuel Macron arrived together at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan. The visit marked the first time a sitting US President and two foreign leaders visited the site of the world’s first atomic bombing. The leaders laid wreaths at the cenotaph dedicated to the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
During their visit, the leaders addressed the issue of nuclear non-proliferation and the pressing call for global cooperation in eliminating nuclear weapons and nuclear threats. President Biden and Prime Minister Sunak have both expressed their commitment to seek a world free of nuclear weapons. President Macron, meanwhile, emphasized that “peace is a common responsibility” and all nations must actively work to prevent conflicts that threaten peace.
The visit was widely seen as a gesture of solidarity and a reminder of the horrors of nuclear warfare. It was also the first step in achieving Biden’s initiative to reduce and ultimately eliminate nuclear threats from the world.