RI to receive $15 million from Japan to fight bird flu

9/13/2007

JAKARTA : Indonesia will receive a Japanese grant worth US$15 million for its avian influenza eradication program.

Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Shin Ebihara and the Foreign Affairs Ministry's director general for Asia Pacific and Africa, Primo Alui Joelianto, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the grant on Thursday.

"We don't know yet when the grant will be available since the MoU is only to show the Japanese government's commitment to realizing the scheme," Primo said.

The signing of the agreement followed a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Jakarta on Aug. 20, less than a month before his Sept. 12 resignation.