By IANS,
New Delhi/Tokyo : Japan Tuesday thanked India for its offer of assistance and said the first batch of relief supplies, comprising 25,000 blankets, from New Delhi will be arriving in the quake-hit country Wednesday morning.
“In response to the Tohoku district – off the Pacific Ocean – earthquake, the first batch of relief supplies which were offered by the government of India are scheduled to arrive at Narita Airport in the morning of March 16,” the Japanese foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.
The foreign office added that 25,000 blankets are scheduled to be transported to Japan in several batches and are to be distributed over the region, said an official.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto have received messages of sympathy and condolences from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, respectively, both of whom made offer of assistance from an early stage, the ministry said.
Taking note of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s speech in both houses of Indian parliament March 14 that India would spare no effort in assisting the Japanese authorities in dealing with the aftermath of this disaster, the ministry said: “The government of Japan deeply appreciate the cooperation by the government of India.”