Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura placed a 5-minute phone call to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at 11:20 PM ( Japan time, 10:20 AM EDT ) on September 2. Their conversation included the following.
(1) Foreign Minister Machimura conveyed his heartfelt sympathies over the great loss of lives and the grave damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina to the American South, including the Secretary’s home state of Alabama.
(2) He further stated that Japan was prepared, in view of the situation, to contribute to the United States’ aid efforts for those affected by the storm by providing funding and emergency material support in response to the emerging needs. He hoped that these measures, even in some small way, would help ease the suffering the victims face.
(3) He went on to say that Japan was prepared to dispatch international disaster relief teams, which it would gladly send at the request of the United States.
(4) Finally, he said that Japan would like to provide as much support as possible during this time of hardship.
In response, Secretary of State Rice expressed her deep gratitude, and then the two agreed that the details should be worked out between the relevant bureaus of the two countries.
[Related Links]
* Japan’s Assistance in Response to the Damages Caused by Hurricane Katrina
* U.S. Embassy Expresses Appreciation for Japanese Aid to Hurricane Katrina Victims (U.S. Embassy Tokyo Website)
* Disaster Prevention and Relief
* Japan-U.S. Relations
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