PRESS RELEASE N0: JPNEMPAK: 10-050

Islamabad: 15th November 2010

Ms. Makiko Kikuta, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs arrived in Pakistan on 14th November.

Besides attending the Pakistan Development Forum (PDF), she met with Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on 14th November.

On 15th November, she delivered a statement at the Plenary Session of the PDF:

“On behalf of the Government of Japan, I extend my sincerest condolences to the victims of the unprecedented scale of flood in the history of Pakistan and their bereaved families, and express my wholehearted sympathy for those who were affected.

In full recognition of the importance of Pakistan in the context of regional stability, Japan has actively supported the efforts of the Government of Pakistan in addressing terrorism and on economic reforms.

The flood we have seen poses a new challenge to the Government and people of Pakistan. We look forward to the ownership of the Government of Pakistan in leading the mid- to long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction, as well as its mobilisation and effective use of domestic resources.

Japan sent 6 helicopters with about 520 personnel in total from the Self Defense Forces and two batches of medical teams, both as Japan Disaster Relief Teams. We also provided assistance aimed at early recovery, including emergency humanitarian assistance and repairs of rural roads and bridges in Sindh Province.

On top of these, I have the honour today to announce that we will provide additional 500 million US dollars worth of assistance. In specific, we will provide the Government of Pakistan with approx. 233 million US dollars worth of additional soft loans, for rehabilitation of roads and bridges in rural areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province as well as for importing such goods as fertilisers and seeds required for reconstruction following the flood. Furthermore, we will provide approx. 267 million US dollars worth of assistance for the works of international organizations, subject to Diet approval. Put together, Japan’s assistance related to the flood will amount to approx. 568 million US dollars.

On 9 November, Prime Minister Naoto Kan of Japan made a phone call to President Asif Ali Zardari. He conveyed our Government’s message to support the Government of Pakistan for its further efforts in addressing terrorism and implementing economic reforms under the leadership of President. Japan hopes that the Government of Pakistan will expeditiously implement what has been and will be discussed at this Forum, and reiterates its will, together with the rest of the international community, to strongly support the efforts of the Government of Pakistan.

I would now like to conclude my remarks by paying tribute to all those who worked for this Forum.”

She will later meet with Mr. Yusuf Raza Gilani, Prime Minister and Mr. Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs.