Japan, Singapore look to expand training for disaster experts
SENDAI — Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and his Singapore counterpart K. Shanmugam agreed today (March 14) to consider expanding bilateral cooperation in training experts on reducing risks from natural disasters in Southeast Asia, Japanese officials told Kyodo News.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida (right) with Singapore's Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam. Photo: Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
SENDAI — Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and his Singapore counterpart K. Shanmugam agreed today (March 14) to consider expanding bilateral cooperation in training experts on reducing risks from natural disasters in Southeast Asia, Japanese officials told Kyodo News.
Singapore has accepted trainees from neighbouring countries, teaching them with expertise from Japan under a programme launched in 1997.
The ministers, meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which began in the Japanese city of Sendai, also discussed issues ranging from Japan’s potential assistance for Singapore to introduce a high-speed railway to measures to enhance partnerships among nations in East Asia.
Mr Kishida was quoted by the officials as telling Mr Shanmugam that Japan is ready to offer its Shinkansen bullet train technology to Singapore, which it is planning with Malaysia to build a new railway connecting the two countries.
The Ministers also agreed on the need to strengthen the 18-nation East Asia Summit framework, the officials said, alluding to challenges facing its members on economic and security issues.
The EAS comprises the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — plus Japan, China, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Russia.
According to a Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs press statement, during their meeting today, Mr Kishida also expressed Japan’s appreciation for Singapore’s reconstruction efforts in the Tohoku region following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Both Ministers reaffirmed the close relations between the two countries, and agreed that the 50th anniversary of Singapore-Japan diplomatic relations in 2016 is an important occasion to be marked with celebratory events and concrete deliverables. They also discussed developments in Japan and the wider region in view of the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII this year. AGENCIES
Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the top features, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.
By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.
