Visiting Japanese Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Keishiro Fukushima, paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday 27th December morning, in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami devastation and assured the Prime Minister that the Government of Japan had decided to dispatch an emergency disaster relief and medical team to Sri Lanka, after it faced severe devastation by the tsunamis caused by an enormous earthquake on 26th December.

Following an official request made by the Government of Sri Lanka to the Government of Japan, to provide urgent relief assistance to overcome the natural disaster, the Government of Japan, in consideration of the gravity of the disaster, has decided to immediately dispatch a 20-member team, lead by a Foreign Ministry official and consisting of doctors, nurses, paramedics, a pharmacist, JICA officials, etc.

The team will also bring with them tents, medicine, water, sleeping bags, etc. The Government of Japan is also planning to donate additional assistance for further relief measures.



Hideaki Matsuo
First Secretary
Embassy of Japan