Prime Minister Koizumi Sends Message to Australian Prime Minister John Howard on the Occasion of the First Anniversary of the Bali Terrorist Bombing

October 10, 2003
Japanese

1. On Friday, October 10, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sent a message to H.E. Mr. John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia, on the occasion of the first anniversary, coming up on October 12, of the terrorist bombing on the Indonesian island of Bali that claimed the lives of more than 200 victims, including nearly 90 Australians. Prime Minister Koizumi once again expressed his condolences to the many victims and their families.
2. In the message, Prime Minister Koizumi stated that, as the threat of terrorism remains grave in Southeast Asia, Japan saw the fight against terrorism as a problem of its own security and would continue to contribute positively in cooperation with the international society. He also stated that Japan intended to continue to cooperate with Australia in the field of terrorist countermeasures, taking account of the "Japan-Australia Joint Statement on Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism," which was issued when Prime Minister Howard visited Japan in July.