Singapore to focus on Meulaboh, Aceh in tsunami relief efforts
By Channel NewsAsia's Ca-Mie De Souza in Jakarta | Posted: 06 January 2005 2227 hrs

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JAKARTA: Singapore is to focus its tsunami relief efforts on rebuilding Meulaboh in Indonesia's Aceh province.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said this after his meeting with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Thursday.

Mr Lee said: "I asked him where his priorities were and we discussed the possibilities. One possibility is to focus more of our attention on Meulaboh, which I think makes sense. Because we are a small country, so we will like to concentrate our focus and have one area where we can make a more significant impact."

The Singapore Prime Minister was in Jakarta for a one-day emergency meeting which he had mooted.

The summit gathered world leaders to organise what will ultimately amount to several billion dollars in relief and long-term reconstruction aid for tsunami-hit countries.

Mr Lee also met UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on the sidelines of the summit.

Mr Annan thanked Singapore for its contributions to the tsunami relief efforts.

And, the two leaders underscored the importance of the UN and Singapore in the relief and reconstruction efforts.

Mr Lee expressed satisfaction at what was achieved at the summit.

He said: "The timing was right. We had already started doing the relief work and we wanted to look ahead, look at what is the next step to take.....to make a commitment so that we are able to sustain this over the long term.

"And sustaining over the long term is an issue which is at the top of the minds of a lot of people - the affected countries, the donors - because they also want to make sure the momentum and the money which they have promised or pledged will be spent and spent to good use.

"And that means both sides need to work hard, they need to continue paying attention. So, I think it's the right moment to commit everybody and at the high level......we make the decision that we want to take this seriously."

Addressing the summit earlier Thursday, Mr Lee pledged another US$10m to help victims of the tsunami disaster.

When asked by reporters later Thursday on how Singapore's US$10m contribution will be used, PM Lee said he hopes it will be used for the longer term of reconstruction.

This will still need to be discussed with government leaders, he added. - CNA

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