Story highlights Thursday marks 70th anniversary of atomic bombing of Hiroshima

Fumio Kishida: Japan at forefront of movement to eliminate nuclear weapons

Fumio Kishida is the foreign minister of Japan. The views expressed are his own.

(CNN) On August 6, 1945, a single bomb was dropped that took more than 130,000 lives in my hometown of Hiroshima, Japan.

Seventy years later, one survivor's message in particular is etched into my thoughts. Indeed, it has become a personal conviction of mine, as well: "Even though I would like to forget what happened to us, I must always remember the atomic bombing, to help ensure that the experience is never repeated."

As we mark the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is vital that we learn from the past to help ensure a more peaceful future.

Japan has long been at the forefront of the global movement to eliminate nuclear weapons, a commitment that is as firm today as it has ever been. And while I know there is skepticism among many that the nuclear powers of the world will willingly disarm their nuclear arsenals, as Japan's foreign minister, and as a native of Hiroshima, I truly believe that the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons is achievable and that we must pursue it.

Across the globe, there are now a total of about 16,000 warheads . While that may be a sharp reduction from the 70,000 at the peak of the Cold War, this is still far too high a number, and progress at eliminating them has also been much too slow.

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