Press Conference 28 December 2004

1. Assistance for earthquake/tsunami disaster
2. Prime Minister Koizumi and Foreign Minister Machimura send messages to the leaders of the countries hit by the disasters caused by the large-scale earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, and the tsunami in neighboring countries
3. Statement by Mr. Nobutaka Machimura, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the presidential runoff revote in Ukraine
4. Dispatch of a Japanese delegation to the international observation mission for the election of the Ra'ees of the Palestinian Interim Self-Government Authority
5. Economic cooperation projects for the reconstruction of Iraq
6. Follow-up questions concerning earthquake/tsunami disaster
7. Questions concerning possible damages from earthquake/tsunami disaster
8. Question concerning tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean
9. Questions concerning Japanese convoys
10. Question concerning Japanese satellites
11. Question concerning possible dispatch of helicopter(s) for the Government of Thailand
12. Questions concerning possible dispatch of Japanese officials to areas affected by the earthquake/tsunami

1. Assistance for earthquake/tsunami disaster

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

   First, in the wake of a major disaster caused by the big earthquake and tsunami, the Government of Japan today decided to provide approximately US$30.0 million to assist countries in the Indian Ocean region that have been badly hit to cope with the devastating situation and to recover from the damage. This assistance will be extended in accordance with the result of the consultation with the countries concerned.

   Within that framework, the Government decided to provide an emergency grant assistance of US$3.0 million in total to the Republic of Indonesia, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives. This grant assistance will be used to purchase emergency food, electric generators, medial supplies, temporary housing, among others. Moreover, 2,400 tons of rice, which is worth approximately US$50.0 million, will be provided as emergency food aid to Sri Lanka through the World Food Programme (WFP). Meanwhile, another US$50.0 million worth of emergency equipment such as tents, water purifiers and so on are being transported to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Maldives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency's (JICA) warehouse in the Republic of Singapore.

   The Japan Disaster Relief Medical Team of 20 doctors and nurses has already arrived in Sri Lanka, and two aid specialists from JICA are heading toward Indonesia. The Government of Japan is also preparing to send a disaster relief team to the Kingdom of Thailand. The Government of Japan is preparing to consider any additional assistance for these and other afflicted nations and international organizations if it is so requested. At the same time, the Government of Japan will actively provide appropriate assistance to the countries concerned to reconstruct and rehabilitate the damaged towns and villages and also technological and other assistance to the nations in the Indian Ocean region to establish early warning systems for tsunamis and to prevent a recurrence of this kind of devastating damages in the future.

   Related Information (Disaster Prevention and Relief)
   Related Information (Japan-Asia Relations)
   
2. Prime Minister Koizumi and Foreign Minister Machimura send messages to the leaders of the countries hit by the disasters caused by the large-scale earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, and the tsunami in neighboring countries

   Mr. Takashima: The next announcement is about the messages sent by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura to the leaders of the countries hit by the earthquake and tsunami.

   On 27 December, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sent messages of sympathy to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, Prime Minister Thaksin Chinnawat of Thailand, Prime Minister Abudullah bin Ahmad Badawi of Malaysia, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India for the disasters caused by the large-scale earthquake off the coast of Sumatra (Republic of Indonesia), and the subsequent tsunami on 26 December, expressing heartfelt condolences for many lost lives and praying for a speedy alleviation and restoration from the calamity.

   Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura sent similar messages to his counterparts.

   Related Information (Prime Minister Koizumi and Foreign Minister Machimura Send Messages to the Leaders of the Countries Hit by the Disasters Caused by the Large-scale Earthquake off the Coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, and the Tsunami in Neighboring Countries)
   
3. Statement by Mr. Nobutaka Machimura, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the presidential runoff revote in Ukraine

   Mr. Takashima: The next announcement is about the Foreign Minister's statement on the result of the Ukrainian presidential election in which Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura stated as follows:

   Japan, which has been extending assistance for democratization in Ukraine by, for example, dispatching its election observation mission, recognizes that the presidential runoff revote on 26 December was carried out largely in accordance with international standards and welcomes the results as a progress in Ukraine's democracy.

   While the Central Election Commission of Ukraine is expected to announce the official results, Japan strongly expects that under the leadership of the new President, Ukraine maintains its integrity, unity and further promotes democratization and market economy. Japan intends to strengthen its support to Ukraine's effort toward that end.

   Related Information (Statement by Mr. Nobutaka Machimura, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Presidential Runoff Revote in Ukraine)
   
4. Dispatch of a Japanese delegation to the international observation mission for the election of the Ra'ees of the Palestinian Interim Self-Government Authority

   Mr. Takashima: The next announcement is about the dispatch of an election monitoring team to the Palestinian Interim Self-Government Authority.

   The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will dispatch a delegation to the international observation mission for the election of the President (Ra'ees) of the Palestinian Interim Self-Government Authority on 9 January next year. The delegation, headed by Mr. Katsuyuki Kawai, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, comprises 23 staff members, and will be dispatched from 7 to 11 January. The upcoming election will be conducted to elect the new Ra'ees, following the demise of Chairman Yasser Arafat, the late Ra'ees of the Palestinian Authority.

   Besides the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japanese Embassy in the State of Israel and other Japanese overseas establishments, the delegation includes personnel from the Cabinet Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and a specialist from a university to provide experts' knowledge on international election observation. The local branch office of JICA will also cooperate with the delegation.

   Japan already has announced US$1.06 million assistance in funding for the election.

   Related Information (Dispatch of a Japanese Delegation to the International Observation Mission for the Election of the Ra'ees of the Palestinian Interim Self-Government Authority)
   
5. Economic cooperation projects for the reconstruction of Iraq

   Mr. Takashima: The last announcement is about the Japanese assistance to Iraq.

   The Government of Japan today decided to provide US$91.0 million worth of grant assistance in kind to the Government of Iraq. With this assistance, the Government of Iraq will purchase 700 ambulances, 150 buses and 500 motor cycles for the police. Also, this money will be used to purchase medical equipment for 32 primary health centers in the Governorate of Al-Muthanna and also to purchase sewage and garage collectors for the city of Samawa.

   With this assistance, US$1.4 billion of the Japanese pledge of US$1.5 billion grant assistance for the year 2004 will already be disbursed or earmarked.

   Related Information (The Issue of Iraq)
   
6. Follow-up questions concerning earthquake/tsunami disaster

   Q: I have questions related to the earthquake and tsunami which happened in Southeast Asia and South Asia. Do you have the exact number of Japanese victims found or not found? Do you have the figures?

   Mr. Takashima: So far, two deaths have been confirmed, and there are seven possible deaths. More than ten are missing, but the exact number has not yet been accounted for.

   Q: There was an announcement by Foreign Minister Machimura that some helicopters will be sent by the Self-Defense Forces (SDF). Can you elaborate on that?

   Mr. Takashima: Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) vessels are in the Indian Ocean for a fuel supply mission under the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law. Three of the ships are currently in the port of Singapore for refueling and re-supply. We have received a request from the Government of Thailand to dispatch helicopters for the search and rescue work for those who are missing in the coastal area of Thailand. In accordance with this request, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now consulting with the Defense Agency to utilize the helicopters carried by those three vessels.

   Q: There are three helicopters?

   Mr. Takashima: I do not have the exact number of helicopters because the number of helicopters varies from convoy to convoy. I would like you to check with the Defense Agency. They will be in a better position to describe the mission.

   Q: When did you hear about the catastrophe? Did you hear it through your Embassy contacts or was it through satellite information? Did you get information through satellites about the earthquake and the last tsunami in the Indian Ocean?

   Mr. Takashima: The major earthquake and tsunami occurred on Sunday, and I am not in a position to describe precisely how we received the information. According to the information I have, the operation room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs first received this information through news agencies as well as Embassies.

   Q: Did you get information, photos or any sort of information, through satellites?

   Mr. Takashima: I do not know, but probably not. Actually, the countries surrounding the Pacific Ocean have a kind of early warning system for tsunamis, but unfortunately, Indian Ocean is kind of an unprepared area. That early warning system in the Pacific region does not work for the tsunami that happened in the Indian Ocean.

   Q: When did you get the first information? At what time?

   Mr. Takashima: I myself received the information in the early afternoon of 26 December in Tokyo.

7. Questions concerning possible damages from earthquake/tsunami disaster

   Q: There does not seem to be very much damage to the vessels actually at sea including Japanese vessels. Is that true?

   Mr. Takashima: I do not have any information on that.

   Q: There are many tankers and vessels in the Indian Ocean. Is there any damage aboard those ships?

   Mr. Takashima: So far, I do not have any information as such.

   Q: How about trade infrastructure? Do you have any reports of them being damaged? Is there any assessment on how much damage is being done to the trade infrastructure?

   Mr. Takashima: What I know is that the oil and natural gas production in Indonesia are not very much affected, their activities are still going on. Other than that, I do not have any additional information.

8. Question concerning tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean

   Q: On the early warning system which does not exist in the Indian Ocean, is Japan likely to take any initiative to develop some sort of early warning system or assist with the development of an early warning system?

   Mr. Takashima: Incidentally, 17 January of next year will mark the tenth anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake. On the following day on 18 January, Japan will host the United Nations (UN) World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe. In the wake of such a huge, tremendous damage, the major tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean region, we would like to put the focus of the international conference on early warning system and disaster prevention. Since we have much knowledge on the early warning system, tsunami mechanism and also seismology and earthquake mechanism, we would be very happy to share those information and also offer technical and other assistance for nations in the Indian Ocean area to set up or move toward the establishment of an early warning system in that part of the world. We would call upon other participating nations to that effect. Hopefully, in next January, the UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction will become a major kick-off event for future disaster prevention efforts, especially for tsunamis in the Indian Ocean area and other parts of the world.

9. Questions concerning Japanese convoys

   Q: Do you have information on how many MSDF boats are located in the area, let's say starting from the Malaga Strait to the Indian Ocean to East Africa?

   Mr. Takashima: The convoy consists of three vessels: one transporter or fuel-tanker and two escorting destroyers. Each has one or two helicopters. We currently have one convoy operating in the Indian Ocean, and that one is currently in the port of Singapore for refueling.

   Q: So you have no other boats?

   Mr. Takashima: I think so, but I am not quite familiar with the current situation.

10. Question concerning Japanese satellites

    Q: Is it not a bit surprising that nobody received information on the tidal wave in the Indian Ocean, such a vast area, through satellites?

    Mr. Takashima: My understanding is that tsunamis have not occurred very often in the Indian Ocean area compared to the Pacific Ocean area. Because of the major earthquake and tsunami in the 1960s, countries surrounding the Pacific basin started to establish a tsunami early warning system. In the Indian Ocean, however, there has not been a major earthquake and especially tsunami for many, many years. That might have been one of the reasons why they were rather slow to prepare themselves for this kind of disaster.

    I am not quite sure if our satellite is capable of monitoring on the real time basis this kind of natural disasters although one of the major purposes of the surveillance satellite of Japan is to cope with natural disasters.

11. Question concerning possible dispatch of helicopter(s) for the Government of Thailand

    Q: I am wondering if you can confirm the reports that the Japanese Government is planning or considering to deploy the three MSDF vessels to the waters near Phuket?

    Mr. Takashima: The request we have received is to provide the Government of Thailand with helicopters. Helicopters carried by the MSDF are the only helicopters available as far as the Japanese Government is concerned in that region. Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now consulting with the Defense Agency with the hope that we can utilize the helicopter there. How we would dispatch that helicopter, that remains to be seen.

12. Questions concerning possible dispatch of Japanese officials to areas affected by the earthquake/tsunami

    Q: Do any officials plan to go to some areas which have been victimized by this disaster? Foreign Minister Machimura?

    Mr. Takashima: Our Embassy staff have been dispatched to various places, and some reinforcement has been done from the Ministry itself. However, we do not have other plans to dispatch senior officials except to say that Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Keishiro Fukushima is incidentally in Sri Lanka and overseeing the Embassy's activities to cope with the situation.

    Q: Do you know if Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Shoichi Nakagawa is going to Indonesia as was planned?

    Mr. Takashima: I am sorry, I do not know.

    Q: So it would mean that basically only diplomats and some helicopter pilots will be in the area as far as Japan is concerned?

    Mr. Takashima: As I have said, we have already dispatched an emergency relief team which is in Sri Lanka right now, and two experts from JICA are in Indonesia. We are thinking about sending more to Thailand. Also, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are already there so there are several people working there in addition to Embassy staff.