The RI government is ready to raise assistance from ASEAN member states for post-disaster reconstruction for Japan due to the Indonesian chairmanship of ASEAN this year, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa here Saturday.
"One of RI’s concerns as ASEAN chair this year is about how to raise support from the member states in relation to the disasters that hit Japan," said Marty at his office here Saturday.
He said Indonesia, as ASEAN chairman in 2011, was responsible to encourage other member countries to help Japan not only in an emergency, but also to assist in restructuring the country after the 9-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan on March 11.
"Now is the time for Indonesia to show its capacity as ASEAN chair to collect assistance from the member states and also to encourage them to be proactive in helping Japan for its reconstruction," said the Minister here Saturday.
In relation to the disaster that hit Japan, the government of Indonesia had sent teams to Japan involving rapid reaction teams comprising 60 people, he said. The team would be sent to Japan in stages, he added.
"The first team of 15 people had arrived in Tokyo and we got information that they are now in Miyagi to help the Indonesians there," he said.
He also said that the focus of the team was to relocate the Indonesians as priority and also the peoples of the other ASEAN member states. Moreover, he said, RI would send 1.700 blankets to Japan tonight and another 10.000 blankets had already been sent.
Marty also urged the Indonesians who wanted to deliver relieve aid for Japanese to contact the Foreign Ministry for the sake of efficiency. "I hope the people who want to send humanitarian and relief aid will contact our ministry because the Japanese government needs assistance in many forms," he added.
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