Telephone Conversation between the Foreign Ministers of Japan and Indonesia

March 22, 2011
Japanese

On March 22, from 16:30 for about 20 minutes, H.E.Mr. Takeaki Matsumoto, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a telephone conversation with H.E. Dr. Marty Natalegawa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, on the latter’s initiative. The outline of the conversation is as follows.

At the start of the talks, Foreign Minister Marty, on behalf of the government and peple of Indonesia , expressed his deepest sympathies for a large number of missing and death caused by the Tohoku - Pacific Ocean Earthquake.
In response, Foreign Minister Matsumoto expressed his gratitude for the sympathies of Indonesia, one of the most friendly countries for Japan, as well as relief money and the dispatch of a humanitarian support team(Indonesian Rescue Team). He also stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan will extend its utmost cooperation in securing safety of Indonesian nationals in Japan.
Foreign Minister Matsumoto explained Japanese Government’s measures in response to the earthquakes. In relation to ARF Disaster Relief Exercise (co-hosted by the governments of Japan and Indonesia last week), he stated that Indonesia has also experienced natural disasters and Japan and Indonesia should cooperate with each other taking advantage of both countries’ experience in the Asia region where natural disasters occur frequently.
Foreign Minister Marty stated that as the ASEAN chair and the ASEAN country coordinator for Japan ASEAN countries are distressed by the earthquakes and that it is important that ASEAN and Japan show the solidarity. Foreign Minister Matsumoto appreciated the thoughtful consideration of Minister Marty.

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

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