Japan To Stock 1 Million Doses Of Bird Flu Vaccine

Japan will stockpile sufficient bird flu vaccines to support a total of one million people in Southeast Asian countries. Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura made the pledge at Wednesday's meeting in Singapore with foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. At the meeting, ASEAN foreign ministers welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's diplomatic focus on cooperation with ASEAN members. The ministers also agreed to strengthen mutual ties on such issues as anti-terrorism, global warming, food and energy security and the introduction of energy-saving technology from Japan. Koumura said Japan would increase its amount of the bird flu vaccine now being stockpiled in Singapore for ASEAN countries from the current amount for 500-thousand people to support 1 million people. Koumura also stressed the importance of making progress on North Korea's nuclear disarmament and on the issue of its abductions of foreign citizens.
Source: NHK
http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/23_21.html