Japan concludes first overseas wildfire suppression mission in Indonesia

Tokyo (ANTARA) - Japanese Defence Minister Shinji<0xC2>0 Koizumi stated on Tuesday that he has ordered his country’s forces to conclude their firefighting operations in Indonesia, marking their first mission abroad.

A Japan Self-Defence Force transport ship, carrying three CH-47 helicopters, was deployed to Indonesia for disaster relief operations following forest fires, beginning on 16 September.

Indonesia has informed Japan that the Self-Defence Forces’ operations have helped prevent the spread of the forest fires and that the Indonesian government is now capable of managing the subsequent response.

The helicopters had conducted more than 40 aerial firefighting operations as of Monday, dropping approximately 220 tonnes of water, Koizumi said during a press conference.

“The Ministry of Defence and the Self-Defence Forces wish to deepen defence cooperation with Indonesia, based on the trust built” through this operation, he added.

The Kunisaki, an 8,900-tonne Osumi-class transport ship, departed from the Maritime Self-Defence Force base in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, on 30 August and arrived at Kijing Port in West Kalimantan on 10 September.

The mission follows an agreement signed between Koizumi and his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, in May to expand defence cooperation, including joint training and disaster relief operations.