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Statement by the Ambassadors of the European Union and its Member States on the first Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, 11 March 2012
Statement by the Ambassadors of the European Union and its Member States on the first Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, 11 March 2012
Today we mark one year since the Great East Japan Earthquake of 11 March 2011. The loss of life and the wider human tragedy of that day are still at the forefront of our minds. The European Union and its Member States express our deepest sympathies for those who were touched by it.
The earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear accident that followed was an extraordinary series of catastrophic events. Those events also brought out the extraordinary qualities of the people they affected. One year on, people across Europe remain united in their admiration for the courage and resilience shown by the Japanese people in the face of the disaster, and for the determination and diligence with which they are now working to rebuild their lives and their communities.
The triple disaster brought Europe and Japan closer together in ways that only unprecedented events can. The contribution that the EU and its Member States were able to make to the immediate rescue efforts and the provision of relief goods, has in a number of cases provided a basis for lasting bonds of friendship and cooperation. The annual EU-Japan Summit, which took place in May last year, was called the ‘Kizuna Summit’ to underscore Europe’s solidarity with Japan and the importance we place on our Strategic Partnership.
The spirit of Kizuna, and the desire to strengthen Europe's bonds with Japan continues to underpin all our work today.
We think back today about the events of March 11 2011, we think of those whose lives were lost and those whose lives were so deeply changed by the disaster. But we are also thinking forward, with confidence that Japan will emerge stronger from the severe tests of the past year.
We offer our full support to Japan in the reconstruction of the Tohoku region, and the
building of ever closer ties of friendship within the EU-Japan strategic partnership.