Japan is one of those countries that not only realize the magnitude of the disasters they have faced; they even offer a helping hand to others who stand in the way of the storm. That is perhaps the reason why Japan has come to the rescue of some of the Caribbean islands, which are equally vulnerable to ocean-based disasters. An agreement signed this weekend is a true testament of Japan’s compassion towards island nations.
On Friday, Mitsuhiko Okada, Japanese ambassador to St Kitts-Nevis, signed an agreement with Mark Brantley, Foreign Affairs Minister, St Kitts and Nevis. The treaty binds the Japanese government to provide for disaster preparedness equipment to the Caribbean island state. The amount? US$800,000!
The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis revel in natural beauty.
The grant aid is entitled as “Non-Project Grant Aid for Provision of Japanese Disaster Reduction Equipment” (2015). The Japanese Ambassador said “it is our hope that this grant aid programme will significantly reduce disaster damages in the future,”. Brantley was highly satisfied with this move, and believes that this grant is a boost to their strategies and plans to be ready to counter any natural disasters.
In mid November, Eugene Hamilton, Minister of Marine Resources and Fisheries, St. Kitts and Nevis, praised Japan’s contribution to the island’s fisheries sector over the last three decades. This includes engagement of scientific research as well as construction of fisheries facilities on the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis. Japan is also considering helping the island with relocation of a complex which was planned for Charlestown to Bath Village.
The islands of St Kitts and Nevis form a part of the West Indies, and were among the first of the Caribbean islands to be inhabited by the British and the French. The government there has also collaborated with Taiwan for helping them increase the yield of food production as well as preservation, back in the island.
