Stone for Peace-Countries whith have accepted the "Stone for Peace"/Europe

State of the City of Vatican, Romania, Portuguese, Norway,
Bulgaria, Spain, Hungary, Finland, Italy, Denmark,
United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Poland, Ireland,
Belgium, Czech, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Hellenic,
Slovak, Iceland, Uzbekistan, croatia,Kyrgyz,Belarus,
Latvia,Lithuania,Ukraine Albania,Estonia,Kosovo,
Tajikistan,Armenia,Kazakhfstan,Azerbaijan,Bosnia,Moldova

■Area　　　　　 110,910 km²
■Population　　7,718,750 (2001 census)
■Capital　　　　Sofia
■Ethnic groups　 Bulgarian 83.94%, Turkish 9.42%, Roma 4.68%, and other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian)

The ceremony was held in December 1991 at the Embassy of Bulgaria in Tokyo where Ambassador Konstantin Stefanov Glavanakov, the chairman of the Bulgaria-Japan Friendship Association and others attended. The Stone for Peace was shipped to the museum in Sophia later, and on August 6, 2003, the anniversary date of the 1945 atomic bombing, the commemorative event was held under the initiative of the Bulgarian government with the attendance of Cabinet members and many local children.

■Area　　　　　 30,528 km²
■Population　　10,511,382 (2006 estimate)
■Capital　　　　Brussels
■Official languages　Dutch, French, German

On the occasion of the visit to Japan of the minister of development, the Stone for Peace was donated to Belgium at its embassy in Tokyo thanks to the arrangement by Ambassador Patrick Nothomb.

■Area　　　　　 103,000 km²
■Population　　309,699 (April 2007 estimate)
■Capital　　　　Reykjavik
■Ethnic groups　Relatively homogenous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and Celts.

The Stone for Peace became a monument in the Peace Park located right in the center of Reykjavik. Behind the Stone is the official residence of the prime minister. The ceremony was so scheduled as to fall on August 6, the 1945 atomic bombing day. President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, the mayor of Reykjavik, present and past Icelandic ambassadors to Japan, the curator of the Art Museum and other high officials attended the solemn ceremony. In Reykjavik, local citizens observe a candle-floating ceremony in August every year to pray for peace.

■Area　　　　　 447,400 km²
■Population　　26,593,000 (July 2005 estimate)
■Capital　　　　Tashkent
■Ethnic groups　Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5%

Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov accepted the Stone for Peace on behalf of President Islam Karimov at a museum called Caravan Salai in Tashkent. A bamboo scaffold was built to hold the Stone for Peace. The mayor of Tashkent, the ambassador of Japan, the curator of the museum and many government officials attended the open-air ceremony.

■Area　　　　　 56,594 km²（1.5 times the size of Kyusu Island）
■Population　　42,850,000 （2012 Census, Croatian Government）
■Capital　　　　Zagreb
■Ethnic groups　Croats (90.4％), Serbs（4.4％）and others (2011)

On March 8 of 2007, the Stone for Peace was handed over to the President Stjepan Mesić at the Presidential Office in Zagreb. It was a grave ceremony with only the President, top government officials, Ambassador of Japan and U.N. Ambassador. Then the Stone was moved to Vukovar that was heavily damaged during the Croatian War of Independence in order to pray for eternal peace. In June 2012, Japanese delegation visited Elts Museum in Vukovar to see the Stone.

■Area　　　　　 199,900 km²
■Population　　5,213,988 (July 2006)
■Capital　　　　Bishkek
■Ethnic groups　Kyrgyz 67%, Russian 11%, Uzbek 14%
Dungan 1%, Uighurs 1%, Tatars 0.9%,
German 0.3%,other 4.8%

The ceremony was held in front of the National Museum in Bishkek where Deputy Prime Minister Dosbol Nur Uulu accepted the Stone on behalf of the president.

■Area　　　　　 207,600 km2
■Population　　9,724,723 (2007 est)
■Capital　　　　Minsk
■Ethnic groups　Belarusian (81.2%), Russian (11.4%), Polish (3.9%),Ukrainian (2.4%), Jewish (0.3%), other (0.8%)

Stone for Peace donated to Belarus President Lukashenko.
Gennady Navyglas, head of the Belarus presidential office, accepted it on behalf of the president.
The Stone was placed adjacent to a cenotaph dedicated to Belarusian victims of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion.

■Area　　　　　 65,000km²(1/6 of Japan)
■Population　　2.21 million (as of January 2012)
■Capital　　　　Riga
■Ethnic groups　 Latvian (60%), Russian (27.5%), Belarusian (3.7%), Ukrainian (2.3%), Polish (2.4%), Lithuanian (1.4%)

The venue of the ceremony was changed to inside of the Presidential Palace in Riga due to the rainy weather. Despite the unfavorable weather, approximately 70 people including the President Valdis Zatlers, high officials of the Latvian government, Ambassadors and other important guests. The President extended the time to stay at the ceremony and gave by himself the delegation a tour in the garden where the Stone was installed.

■Area　　　　　65,000km² (1/6 of Japan)
■Population　　3.20 million (as of January 2012)
■Capital　　　　Vilnius
■Ethnic groups　Lithuanian (83.1%), Polish (6.0%), Russian (4.8%), Belarusian (1.1%), Ukrainian (0.6%)

The park that was named after Chiune Sugihara in the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius was the venue of the donation ceremony. Despite the cold rain, the attendants include Ms Virginija B?dien? of Senior Assistant Official of the President, Ambassador of Japan, high officials from the city of Vilnius with a live music by famous Lithanian trumpeters. The Deputy Mayor invited the delegation to the lunch at the City Hall.

■Area　　　　　 6,0370,000km²(1.6 times of Japan)
■Population　　45.87 million (as of 2010)
■Capital　　　　 Kiev
■Ethnic groups　 Ukrainian (77.8%), Russian (17.3%), Belarusian (0.6%), Moldovans, Q?r?mtatar (2001 Census)

The atmosphere of the ceremony was so solemn and grave at The National Ukrainian State Museum of the History the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 where visitors come to pray for peace and no more war. There were approximately 20 attendants including Mr. Klinyaku, Minister of Culture, Deputy Mayor of the city of Kiev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kovalchuk of Director of the Museum. The Presidential Office has arranged the date of the ceremony in accordance with the Independence Day, called "the day of Kiev".

■Area　　　　　65,000km²
(1.7 times of Shikoku Island of Japan)
■Population　　 3.16 million (as of 2009)
■Capital　　　　Tirana
■Ethnic groups　 Albanian

The location of the Stone in the court yard of the National Museum of History in Tirana was thoughtfully chosen, which was next to an olive tree planted in commemoration of the visit of Mother Theresa who is Albanian origin. The host of the ceremony was the Prime Minister Sali Ram Berisha who brought the Prime Minister of Hungary, Mr. Orban Viktor who was visiting Albania. The attendants numbered approximately 100 people including Mr. Avni Ponari, Consul of Japan and the Director of the Museum. More than 10 media firms gathered.

■Area　　　　　 45,000km² (1/9 of Japan)
■Population　　1.34 million (as of 2011)
■Capital　　　　Tallinn
■Ethnic groups　 Estonian (68.7%), Russian (25.6%), Ukrainian (2.1%), Belarusian (1.2%), Finn (0.8%) …

The Stone waited the completion of the Japanese Garden inside the Kadriorg Park in Tallinn where the Stone was placed in peace. The ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace where the delegation received a warm welcome by the President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Estonian architect who designed the park, high officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassy of Japan were present at the very cordial ceremony.

■Area　　　　　 10,908 km² 　(Equal to the one of Gifu Pref.)
■Population　　1,794,000 (2011 census )
■Capital　　　　Pristina
■Ethnic groups　 Albanians (92%), Serbs (8%), Turkish and others (3%)

In Pristina, the capital of the Republic of Kosovo, the Stone for Peace was handed over to the President Atifetet Jahjaga with the attendance of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, other public officials, the Mayor of Pristina, Ambassadors including Mr. Shala, Ambassador to Japan and Ambassador Iwatani, and others. The ceremony took place in front of the National Museum where the Stone will be opened to the public.

■Area　　　　　143,100 km² 　(40% of Japan)
■Population　　8.2 million (United Nations Population Fund)
■Capital　　　Dushanbe
■Ethnic groups　 4.3% Tajik; 12.2% Uzbek; 0.8% Kyrgyz; 0.5% Russian 0.8% others 　(Agency of Statistics of Tajikistan)

On Saturday 19 of April 2014, the presentation ceremony was held at the Dushanbe National Museum in Dushanbe, Tajikistan with approximately 200 guests that was widely covered by the local media. JABBORI Marhabo, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan received the Stone representing the President of Tajikistan, Emomalii Rahmon. Among those present at this grave and grand ceremony were The Minister of Culture, Minister of Sports and Tourism, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other government officials of Tajikistan attended along with the Ambassador Koike of Japan.

■Area　　　　　 29,800 km² 　(1/13 of Japan, the smallest among the countries of former Soviet Union)
■Population　　3 million (United Nations Population Fund)
■Capital　　　　Yerevan
■Ethnic groups　 97.9% Armenian; 0.5% Russian; 0.1% Assyrian; 1.5% other (National Census, Armenia)

On Wednesday 25 of June 2014, the presentation ceremony was held at the Children's Park in Yerevan, Armenia under a beautiful early summer day. The President of the RA Serzh Sargsyan appointed the Mayor of Yerevan City to receive the Stone. The guests include the Chairman of a National Assembly, Deputy Mayor of Yerevan City, Dr. Grant Pogosyan, Ambassador of Armenia in Japan, Mr. Kurai, Minister of Embassy of Japan in Russia, government officials and citizens of Armenia. Children brought numberless of colorful balloons that were released to the sky upon completion of the ceremony to celebrate the event.

■Area　　　　　272万4900 km² 　(Seven times of the area of Japan)
■Population　　16.6 million（2014 UN Population Fund）
■Capital　　　　Astana
■Ethnic groups　 97.9% Armenian; 0.5% Russian; 0.1%
Assyrian; 1.5% other (National Census, Armenia)

On Saturday 29th Aug. Kazakhstan received the Stone for Peace during an international gathering against nuclear testing attended by thousands of people. The ceremony was held at Semey's peace park where East Kazakhstan Deputy Gov. Omar Zhaksylyk received the Stone. The guests included Mr. Ermak Salimov, Mayor of the city of Semey, Japanese Ambassador Mr. Kamahara and other city authorities.

■Area　　　　　86,600 km² 　(23％ of Japan)
■Population　　9.5 million (2014 UN Population Fund)
■Capital　　　　Baku
■Ethnic groups　 Azerbaijani (90.6%) and other small groups including Lezgins (2.2%), Russians (1.8%)
and others (Azerbaijan Statistics Department)

Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic rich in natural resources, accepted the Stone for Peace. The hand-over ceremony was held at the National Museum of Art in Baku where About 170 people, including Azerbaijan Deputy Prime Minister Elchin Efendiyev, Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev and Japanese Ambassador Tsuguo Takahashi, attended.

■Area　　　　　51,197 km²
■Population　　3,531,159 (2013 census)
■Capital　　　　Sarajevo
■Languages　 Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian

The hand-over ceremony was held on June 21, 2017 in a harmonious atmosphere at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina where some 100 people gathered including Mayor of Sarajevo, Mr. Ogawa, Ambassador of Japan to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassadors, local media, citizens and children of Sarajevo.

■Area　　　　　Including Transnistria 33,846km²a little smaller than Kyushu Island
■Population　　2017 census　3,350,900(including Transnistria)
■Capital　　　　Chisinau
■Ethnic groups 　Moldovans 75.1%　Ukrainians 6.6%　Russians 4.1%　Gagauz 4.6% Ethnic Composition (2014 Moldovan Census)

At the State University of Moldova in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova the handover ceremony of Stone for Peace was held under a peaceful atmosphere as the main event of Bunkasai Festival. H.E. Mrs. Monica BABUC, The Minister of Education, Culture and Research of the Republic of Moldova, Ms. Tatiana Molcean, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Valeriu Binzaru, President of the Foundation for Moldovan-Japanese Relations, and H. E. Mr. Masanobu Yoshii, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Moldova attended the ceremony.