Response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Earthquake off the Coast of Aceh Province, Indonesia

April 11, 2012
Japanese

On Wednesday, April 11, at 5:38 p.m. (Japan time), an earthquake occurred off the coast of Simeulue Island in Aceh Province, Indonesia. In relation to this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately reported the matter to Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba, who is on a trip to Washington D.C. Minister Gemba instructed that every possible effort be exerted to secure the safety of Japanese nationals, collect information, and discuss future measures including the need for support.
Based on these instructions, at 6:30 p.m. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established a response office for the earthquake off the coast of Aceh Province, Indonesia, headed by Mr. Kunio Umeda, Director-General of the Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department. The office is gathering information and making various arrangements.

(*The foregoing is a provisional translation. The date indicated above denotes the date of issue of the original press release in Japanese.)

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