(VOVworld) - Japan marked the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Thursday.

Pigeons, the symbol of peace, were released at the ceremony (Photo: BBC)

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid a wreath at the ceremony attended by representatives from 100 countries including the US’s Under-secretary for Arms Control Rose Gottemoeller, the most senior US official sent from Washington to the annual memorial.
At the ceremony, Hiroshima’s Mayor Kazumi Matsui called on world leaders to abolish nuclear weapons and pursue peace. He asked world leaders to show their love for human beings and establish a security mechanism based on mutual trust and dialogue rather than military power.