- AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim
VIVAnews - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono today urged ASEAN member states to display solidarity with Japan in their reconstruction efforts. As the chair of ASEAN, said Yudhoyono, Indonesia also underlines ASEAN's deep and strong bonds with Japan.
"I hope we can work together, and that those countries which have similar facilities can offer their assistance towards Japan. We have all experienced disasters in the past. We all have expertise and wider experience," said the Indonesian President.
Yudhoyono spoke at the Special ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Meeting in Jakarta. The meeting was attended by Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto and his ASEAN counterparts, as well as ASEAN Secretary-General, Surin Pitsuwan.
Therefore, recalling Japan's readiness to assist and aid ASEAN nations - particularly in times of natural calamities - President Yudhoyono urged ASEAN member states to display solidarity with Japan in their reconstruction efforts.
His call was strongly supported by Pitsuwan. "This is a highly significant gathering. Thirty-four years after it's inception, the "heart-to-heart" engagement which was central to the Fukuda doctrine, remains just as relevant in the ASEAN-Japan relations today," said the Secretary-General.
During the meeting, Minister Matsumoto shared Japan's experience in tackling the Fukushima nuclear crisis, following the tragedy of powerful 9-SR earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. Developments at the crippled nuclear plant have hogged news headlines, as officials tried various methods to try to contain radiation leak.
The triple tragedy of the Great East Japan earthquake, which triggered the devastating tsunamis, and led to the current nuclear crisis, has been described as the worse tragedy since World War II.
According to the ASEAN Secretariat, Japan is one of ASEAN's most important trading partners, with total trade between the two exceeding US$160 billion in 2009. Japan has also been one of the top investors in ASEAN, with close to US$6 billion in the same year.
Another area which the meeting explored, is the role of the ASEAN Coordination Centre for Humanitarian Assistance or AHA. The triple crises had further reinforced the importance of the operations of the AHA, particularly in risk identification and monitoring, as well as joint disaster relief and emergency responses.
As ASEAN reaffirms its commitment to cooperate with Japan, the triple crises will be seized to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two sides.
"Through even closer cooperation and coordination, ASEAN and Japan can work together in the areas of disaster prevention and management, disaster relief operations," said Pitsuwan.
Like Japan, several ASEAN member states are also vulnerable to natural disasters. The Philippines, Viet Nam, Myanmar and Thailand are regularly hit by typhoons, floods and cyclones, while Indonesia and the Philippines are also regular victims of earthquakes and other disasters.
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