VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam deeply sympathises with Japan over losses caused by the recent earthquake and tsunami and offers assistance to the country, a foreign ministry spokesperson said.

 

“Vietnam shares with Japan and the Japanese people the agonies and losses they are suffering from the earthquake and tsunami,” spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga said on March 14 in reply to a reporter’s query on Vietnam’s reaction to disasters that hit Japan on March 11.

 

She said she believes that with its will and determination, Japan will avert difficulties and soon overcome catastrophic consequences to continue to grow.

 

“Vietnam is ready to help and assist Japan in its capacity,” spokesperson Nga noted.

 

She said the Vietnamese Government decided to provide Japan with US$200,000 in emergency aid and would send a medical team to Japan if requested by the Japanese government.

 

“We are working with the Japanese side on what it needs so we can supply them promptly,” spokesperson Nga concluded.

 

The earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale rocked northeastern Japan on March 11, and along with a devastating tsunami, claimed almost 1,900 lives and left 20,000 missing, according to the latest reports released on March 14.

 

Deputy Foreign Minister pledges aid to Japan

 

The Vietnamese government is willing to send medical staff to Japan to help the country overcome the consequences of the recent earthquake and tsunami, besides an aid package worth US$200,000.

 

Deputy Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son made the statement at a reception for Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yasuaki Tanizaki in Hanoi on March 14.

 

Ambassador Tanizaki said that Japan is working with Vietnamese agencies in Japan to protect Vietnamese residents, adding that so far, there have been no reported casualties of Vietnamese nationals.

 

He also said that despites the explosions at the Fukushima Number One Nuclear Plant, the situation is under control and no major leak of radiation has occurred.

 

Vietnam offers aid to Japanese quake victims

 

The Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) on March 14 decided to offer US$50,000 in initial aid to Japanese victims of the massive earthquake and tsunami.

 

Earlier, on March 11, VRC Chairman Tran Ngoc Tang cabled message of sympathy to the Chairman of the Japanese Red Cross (JRC), who is also Chairman of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Society.

 

Currently, VRC is working with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and JRC to launch a system searching information on Vietnamese people who lose contact and helping families of Vietnamese residents in Japan get information on their relatives.

 

JRC is one of first associations at national level offering largest support for VRC for a long time, especially in dealing with natural disasters.

 

In a mangrove forest plantation programme carried out in eight central coastal provinces, JRC funded nearly US$10 million in the 1996-2015 period to help the provinces cope with and mitigate adverse impacts of natural disasters.

 

Source: TTXVN