Japan PM Yoshihide Suga tells UN that Tokyo is ‘determined’ to host Olympics
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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has told the Union Nations General Assembly that his government is determined to host the Tokyo Olympics in the year 2021, postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Games were originally supposed to held this summer but were pushed off for a year in March by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Japanese government.
“In the summer of next year, Japan is determined to host the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games as proof that humanity has defeated the pandemic,” Suga said in a recorded message on Friday.
“I will continue to spare no effort in order to welcome you to Games that are safe and secure,” Suga said in his debut speech to the United Nations as Japan’s new leader.
Suga became the Prime Minister of Japan this month after Shinzo Abe quit because of poor health. On Friday, organisers of the Tokyo Olympics advised to cut down the number of staff at next year’s Games and shorten the opening period for training amid the pandemic.
‘Japan fully supports the development of therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics’
Medical experts have warned that the event could be difficult to organise if the pandemic is not controlled by next year. But the International Olympic Committee vice president John Coates said that “this has to happen” at any cost.
Japan has more than 81,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and nearly 1500 deaths.
Suga, in his video message, said that Japan will work to ensure proper access to COVID treatment and vaccines for people in developing countries.
“Japan fully supports the development of therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics, and works towards ensuring fair and equitable access for all, including those in developing countries,” he said.
Also read: Tokyo Olympics will go ahead ‘with or without Covid’, says IOC Vice President John Coates
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Shivani Tyagi
(231 Articles Published)