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The following is the text of the statement made by the Union Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram regarding assistance from the international community for tsunami relief, on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Mumbai, today:
“An impression has been created that India is taking an isolationist stand in refusing assistance from the international community for tsunami relief. This is not really true. India is large enough a country to meet the immediate needs of humanitarian assistance and relief in wake of the disaster in India. In fact the country is in a position to provide such assistance to worse affected neighbours. Such assistance or relief from the international community is also perhaps better directed to the worse affected countries which require the immediate help.
On the other hand, the longer term reconstruction and rehabilitation, which will also involve investments in upgrading the infrastructure in the affected areas and also proof them from such disasters in the future, requires greater investment and project based funding for which India will be accessing international financing including from multi-lateral financing agencies”.
BSC/BY/GN-6/5
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