Russia's Far East ready to help Japan - pres envoy

KHABAROVSK, March 12 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's Far East is ready to help
Japan cope with the consequences of the natural disasters - the strong
earthquake and tsunami, presidential envoy to the Russian Far East Federal
District Viktor Ishayev said during the meeting with Consul-General of
Japan in Khabarovsk Tsuguo Takahashi. The envoy conveyed condolences to
the bereaved families.
Ishayev sent telegrammes to Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan and
Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeaki Matsumoto.
"I express my sincere condolences to the families of the victims of
the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Please convey our words of support to
the affected people," the telegramme says.
"The Far East close to the heart took the trouble that happened in
Japan, a neighboring friendly country, with which we have long-term
good-neighbourly relations", said the envoy.
According to him, the Emergencies Ministry, regional authorities in
the Far East, medical services and specialists in reconstruction of
damaged industrial and transport infrastructure, at the first request of
the Japanese side, can join in the work to overcome the consequences of
the earthquake and tsunami. Common Russian citizens are also ready to help.
The consul-general thanked Ishayev for the support and the condolence
words.
In Japan, earthquakes occur frequently, but so strong was unexpected,
the diplomat said. The overall picture of what happened is not known yet.
As soon full information is received, the Russian side will be let know
what help exactly is needed, he said.
Specialists of the Russian Emergencies Ministry in the Primorye
Territory are now working as normal, but are ready to go to Japan to
participate in rescue operations at any time if such an order is given,
the department's press service reported to Itar-Tass on Saturday.
The earthquake in Japan has not affected Primorye's life. No tsunami
alert was called in the region. Primorye's coast was reached only by a
residual wave that could not cause any damage. In the village of Rudnaya
Pristan on Friday the water rose 32 cm, and 11 cm in the village of
Preobrazheniye.
However, in the territory there is more control over background
radiation. Its levels are monitored by the Rospotrebnadzor service and the
Primorsky regional meteorological centre. The measurements are taken every
three hours at all the monitoring stations on the Japan Sea coast,
including Vladivostok and Nakhodka.
According to the meteorological service, no higher background
radiation was recorded over the past day. Experts note that there is no
threat to Primorye -- in this season, north and west winds prevail, which
are a kind of barriers for penetration of air flows from Japan to Russia's
Far East.
On Friday, the Rospotrebnadzor federal public health control service
announced the increasing of control over radiation safety in the Sakhalin,
Kamchatka, Magadan regions and the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories in
connection with the accidents at nuclear power plants in Japan.