22 March 2011

At 13:00 on Tuesday 22 March, The Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP, Prime Minister, paid a visit to the Japanese Embassy in the UK to sign a Book of Condolence for the victims of the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake. Mr Cameron wrote in the Book of Condolence: "This comes with the deepest sympathy and condolences from the British Government and British people to everyone in Japan who has suffered from the earthquake and tsunami."

In the following statement to the media, the Prime Minister said: "The message from the British Government and from everyone in Britain is that our hearts go out to the Japanese people who have suffered so much from the earthquake and the tsunami. We stand with you, we are your friends, we want to do everything we can to help you. We want to help you recover as we know that you will. And frankly, we have been so impressed by the incredible courage and the resilience and dedication of all the Japanese people, but perhaps particularly the workers in the nuclear industry, the people in the emergency services. Their steadfastness, their resilience has been a true inspiration. It shows the real spirit of your country. And it demonstrates that you will recover, we know that, and we will be with you all the way."

After signing the Book of Condolence, Prime Minister Cameron had a brief meeting with Ambassador Hayashi. The Ambassador thanked Mr Cameron for responding so promptly on the day of the disaster from Brussels, which he was visiting on official duties, with a message of sympathy and an offer of all possible assistance to Japan. Mr Hayashi also spoke of how moved he was by the support and the expressions of sympathy Japan had received from Her Majesty The Queen, the British Government and so many other people in the United Kingdom.