Meeting Between Vice Minister Yachi and Ambassador Schieffer
(Summary)

September 9, 2005

On September 9, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shotaro Yachi, held a meeting with U.S Ambassador to Japan, J. Thomas Schieffer from 13:20 for approximately 15 minutes. The following is a summary of the meeting in which they discussed the relief efforts in response to the damages caused by the landfall of Hurricane Katrina in the Southern part of the U.S.

1. At the outset, Ambassador Schieffer stated that the U.S. Government (USG) is deeply grateful for the heartfelt assistance by the government of Japan (GoJ) and the Japanese private sector. He stated that such kindness, in the midst of the damages caused by a typhoon in Japan itself, is symbolic of the friendship between Japan and the U.S.
2. In response, Vice Minister Yachi stated that:

   (1) He was deeply concerned to see the gravity of the damages in the media, and expressed his heartfelt sympathy for the damages and deep condolences for the loss of lives. Out of the one million dollars-worth of assistance the GoJ had offered, the GoJ had decided yesterday (September 8) to provide blankets and sleeping mattresses from the storage in Florida to the American Red Cross as emergency assistance supply.

   (2) In addition, Japanese companies and local governments had also offered assistance, and he wished that the assistance from the GoJ and Japanese citizens would help to ease the difficulties that the affected region was facing and the suffering of the people.

   (3) Moreover, Foreign Minister Machimura and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had a telephone conversation on September 2 where he stated that the GoJ was prepared to dispatch the Japan Disaster Relief Team. The GoJ would continue to examine what types of assistance would be necessary according to the needs of the affected region.

3. Vice Minister Yachi further stated that he had no information of injury or loss of lives of Japanese citizens in the affected region; but that, if there were to be such information, the GoJ might be in a position to request the USG for necessary assistance.
   
   In response, after expressing appreciation for the assistance by the GoJ once again, Ambassador Schieffer stated that the USG intended to take appropriate measures if a situation arises, and that it would like to remain in contact with the GoJ.

[Note: Assistance Measures by the GoJ (as of September 9)]

• The GoJ has decided to provide 200 thousand dollars to the American Red Cross to assist the people in the affected region (September 2).
• The GoJ offered the USG that the GoJ was prepared to provide 800 thousand dollars-worth of emergency assistance supply according to the needs of the affected region (300 thousand on September 2, and an additional 500 thousand on September 6).
  The GoJ decided to provide 300 thousand dollars-worth of supply (20 thousand blankets, three thousand sleeping mattresses, including transportation cost) from the storage in Miami, Florida to the American Red Cross. The supply will be sent to Walker, Louisiana, and Montgomery, Alabama by September 9 at the earliest.
• The GoJ has offered the USG that the GoJ was prepared to dispatch the Japan Disaster Relief Team according to the needs of the affected region (September 2, Telephone conversation between Foreign Ministry Machimura and the Secretary of State Rice).
• With the GoJ's strong support, the IEA member states decided to cooperate in releasing two million barrels per day of oil reserves over a period of 30 days (September 3). The GoJ decided to release approximately 73 million barrels from private reserves.