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Press Conference 23 April 2004

  1. Grant assistance to the Kingdom of Nepal
  2. Question concerning possible new case of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
  3. Questions concerning Fifty-seventh World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO)
  1. Grant assistance to the Kingdom of Nepal

    Press Secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima: Good afternoon and thank you for coming to the briefing. Today, I would like to make one announcement before I take questions.

    It is on grant assistance to the Kingdom of Nepal.

    In response to the urgent request from the Government of Nepal, the Government of Japan today decided to provide up to 350 million yen (US$3.2 million) as grant aid to Nepal. This grant aid will be used to purchase rice to alleviate the serious food shortages in the mountainous and hilly areas of this Himalayan country.

    Related Information (Japan-Nepal Relations)
  2. Question concerning possible new case of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

    Q: Yesterday, it was shown in the news that maybe in Beijing, there has been another confirmed case of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the first for this year. What are your observations so far of the SARS situation in Beijing as well as other areas? Are you going to issue any warnings against traveling or something similar?

    Mr. Takashima: We are aware of that press report that there might have been a case of SARS in the People's Republic of China. However, we do not have any confirmation from international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), or from the Government of China, so we are carefully monitoring the information. Therefore, we have not taken any steps or measures on that yet.

    Related Information (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS))
  3. Questions concerning Fifty-seventh World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO)

    Q: The World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization is going to be held in May. Taiwan this year is going to work on whether they can perhaps attend as an observer at the WHA. What is the comment from Japan or what are your feelings at this moment? The United States of America has been so far very supportive about Taiwan's joining the WHO.

    Mr. Takashima: On the possible Taiwanese observer status at the WHO, this issue has been put to discussion quite some time now. Especially in the light of SARS and the related development, we also support the Taiwanese participation as an observer to the Assembly.

    Q: Then if there were to be some kind of voting in the Assembly, would Japan vote in favor of Taiwan to join?

    Mr. Takashima: This issue would have to be considered when the actual voting occurs, but so far as the basic idea is concerned, because of our experience of coping with SARS, Taiwan's participation in the international effort to eliminate that sort of contagious disease is very important and we are therefore taking this kind of stance.

    Nevertheless, this does not in any way relate to any sort of political situation or issues. This is only for health control and disease control.

    Related Information (Health and Medical Care)
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