Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Morning.

I am deeply honoured to represent the people and the Government of Japan in today’s signing and exchange of notes ceremony, which formalises Japan’s grant assistance to the Government of the Republic of Fiji for the Project for Improvement of Equipment for Disaster Risk Management.

This Grant Aid scheme is aimed at promoting international co-operation in the field of disaster management by providing equipment for disaster management based on Japan’s experiences last year with the earthquake and tsunami.

The Great East Japan Earthquake that had occurred on 11 March last year gave Japan a range of hardships and sorrow. However, the recovery of Japan is firmly on its way. Japan will share the knowledge and lesson learned from the Earthquake and Tsunami with the international community and will transform challenges into opportunities such as disaster risk management and reduction.

Japan recognises the suffering Fiji experienced during the recent floods and cyclones that made many homeless, forced evacuations and cut off access to bridges and highways and even resulting in casualties. I wish to take this opportunity to extend my sincere sympathies to the victims’ families. Unfortunately both Fiji and Japan are vulnerable to natural disasters. Therefore, I believe that Fiji and Japan are able to share the knowledge and lesson learned from disasters.

The provision of improving disaster awareness will assist Fiji in predicting disasters such as flood-tide, cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis and climate changes. This is envisaged to save more lives and allow time for people to prepare ahead for future disasters.

Ladies and gentlemen, Japan wishes to support not only the Republic of Fiji but also the south Pacific region as a whole in the field of disaster risk management. Japan will provide similar assistance to the Republic of Vanuatu as well. Japan also supports Pacific Islands Countries including Fiji through the regional technical cooperation projects in this field.

I am very glad that the Government and the People of Japan have assisted to improve the disaster risk management and reduction of Fiji as well as Pacific Island Countries through a series of assistance such as this project. This is a good opportunity to express our gratitude for your support rendered to Japanese people at our most difficult moment last year.
 
Finally, I look forward to the successful completion of this project.