Japanese, Thai PMs to issue statement

The prime ministers of Japan and Thailand will meet this week in Tokyo and issue a joint statement on strengthening cooperation in disaster preparedness following last year's natural disasters in the two countries. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will visit Japan on Tuesday for talks with Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, according to Japan's (NHK WORLD) website. During the talks, Noda will thank the Thai government for sending a medical team to the area devastated by the earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan last March. He is also expected to offer cooperation with the Thai government in drawing up a water management plan to prevent a recurrence of last year's severe floods that disrupted industrial supply chains. The Thai prime minister is expected to explain her government's policy of stepping up flood control and to invite Japanese companies to invest in infrastructure projects.