India offers more assistance to Japan

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has spoken to his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan and offered any additional assistance Japan may require to deal with the devastation caused by the twin disaster earlier this month.

Dr Singh had a telephonic conversation with Kan yesterday during which he expressed deepest condolences over the loss of life and property in Japan consequent to the recent earthquake and tsunami, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a release in New Delhi on Thursday.

The Prime Minister said the people and the government of India stood solidly with the friendly people of Japan in their hour of grief.

"He also offered to make available any additional

assistance that Japan may require. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Japan would emerge from the calamity as an even stronger nation," it said.

The Japanese Prime Minister expressed deep appreciation for India's solidarity and support, as the country coped with the enormous natural disaster.

"He was touched by Prime Minister's gesture of visiting the Japanese Embassy to sign the Condolence Book. He thanked the Prime Minister for the assistance that India had provided," the ministry release said.

Premier Kan had also written a letter to Prime Minister Singh expressing similar sentiments, in response to the latter's message of condolence sent on 11 March 2011.