Pakistan, Afghanistan Assistance and Millennium Development Goals on the AgendaWASHINGTON, DC - August 30, 2010
-- Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International
Development, today conferred with Shiro Sadoshima, the Director-General
of the International Cooperation Bureau in Japan's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, on matters of mutual interest such as flood relief for
Pakistan, assistance for Afghanistan, the Millennium Development Goals
and other areas of overlap in development efforts worldwide.
Shah
and Sadoshima met for the first time at USAID headquarters in
Washington. Japan is a key development partner for the United States,
particularly in global health, agriculture, water, infrastructure and
public-private partnerships.
Shah had just returned from several
days in flood-ravaged Pakistan, and he thanked Sadoshima for Japan's
efforts there. "The international community is working hand in hand with
Pakistani partners to meet the needs of millions who have been affected
by this disaster, and I was deeply impressed by the significant steps
taken in the relief effort," Shah said. "We now need to expand our
capabilities in that area and consider how to move toward recovery and
reconstruction once the relief phase is done. We must focus on planning
for the multi-year effort that will be needed to ensure that the
Pakistani people can rebuild."
The two officials took note of
Japanese-U.S. development efforts in Afghanistan, including ongoing work
with the donor community. They exchanged views on how the U.S. and
Japan can contribute to achieving health outcomes by supporting the
national health programs of partner countries. They also discussed the
long tradition of bilateral cooperation on health matters, including the
fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, avian influenza, polio,
and neglected tropical diseases; and to improve maternal and child
health care, water and sanitation , and hygiene; and to strengthen
health systems. And they agreed on the importance of the Millennium
Development Goals and working together toward meeting the goals by 2015.
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