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Japan
Considers Flu Aid to Latin America
Japan is considering
aid for the Latin American nations hit by the A/H1N1
flu virus, visiting Japanese Vice Foreign Minister
said here on Monday.
"We are very willing to cooperate as needed,"
Shintaro Ito said at a news conference together with
his Mexican counterpart Lourdes Aranda.
Ito said he had met with Mexican Health Minister
Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos earlier on Monday to
ask for more details on how to handle the epidemic.
According to World Health Organization data, the new
strain of A/H1N1 flu, which has killed 106 people
and infected 5,717 others in Mexico, has spread to
73 countries, infecting 25,288 people.
Japan, which has reported 410 infections and no
deaths, imposed visa restrictions on Mexicans
shortly after the disease was first publicly
reported on April 23.
"We took those measures when we did not know how
dangerous the flu might have been," Ito said. "As a
result, no Mexican had fallen ill during visits to
Japan, we wish to have the understanding of the
Mexicans."
Mexico, which has the single largest number of flu
deaths, has seen a fatality rate of around 2
percent. The United States, which has the highest
number of confirmed infections at 13,217, has seen
27 deaths or a rate of 0.2 percent.
Aranda said President Felipe Calderon had planned a
visit to Japan next year, but had not yet set an
exact date.
"We are very happy about the planned visit because
it is a sign of close relationship," Aranda said.
Ito said that during his visit, the two nations had
signed an agreement that would allow Japan to invest
more in Mexico's infrastructure and energy sectors,
but he did not provide details of how much more
investment this could mean.
Japan and Mexico signed an economic partnership pact
in April 2005 which allows Japan to participate
equally in bidding rounds held by Mexico's state-run
companies.
The Japanese Bank of International Cooperation has
been providing financing for Japanese companies
bidding for work from Petroleos Mexicanos, the
state-run energy giant, since 2007.
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