Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Takeaki Matsumoto said on Wednesday Japan wanted to cooperate with Indonesia in sharing their experience in natural disaster mitigation with other countries in the Asian region.

"Japan wants to cooperate with Indonesia to share their experience in disaster mitigation with other countries in the Asian region," Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said after a talk with his Japanese counterpart over international telephone on Wednesday, according to a press release received by ANTARA.

Matsumoto said Indonesia and Japan both had experience in dealing with the impacts of mega natural disasters and therefore the two countries could forge cooperation to share their experience with other countries in the Asian region.

During the telephone conversation, Minister Matsumoto also told Marty the disaster response being carried out by the Japanese government related to the recent earthquake and tsunami that hit the country on March 11, 2011.

Matsumoto expressed gratitude for the attention and humanitarian aid and the dispatch of rescue team by the Indonesian government.

"The Foreign Affairs Ministry will extend maximum cooperation for guaranteeing the safety of the Indonesian community living in Japan," he said.

According to data collected by the Indonesian Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, there are currently 31,517 Indonesians living in Japan, of which 16,653 were working in the formal sector such as industries and 1,013 as nurses (care-givers).

In addition, 8,006 Indonesians ware on apprenticeship programs with various institutions such as the IMM, JEWC Shikamachi.(*)
(T.KR-VFT/HAJM/f001)

Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011