Japan will provide 20 million US dollars in aid and dispatch Self-Defense Forces troops and transport helicopters to Pakistan for disaster relief following Saturday's earthquake.

"The government made the aid decision at a Cabinet meeting," Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said at a press conference Tuesday.

Separately, Japanese Defense Agency chief Yoshinori Ono said Japan will send Ground SDF troops, totaling just over 100, and helicopters in response to Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's request after the earthquake.

"We are considering dispatching at least two to three transport helicopters as soon as possible, perhaps within this week," Ono said, adding the helicopters will be delivered to Pakistan on a C- 130 aircraft.

Also, during his meeting with Cabinet members, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi instructed them to hold discussions with the relevant ministries or agencies and actively work on relief measures for Pakistan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said.

Following the magnitude 7.6 earthquake on Saturday morning, Japan sent a disaster relief team, including rescue workers and doctors, to Pakistan. It has also provided sleeping mats and portable water tanks and other relief goods worth 25 million yen ( about 220,000 dollars).

On Monday, Senior Vice Foreign Minister Shuzen Tanigawa left Japan for Pakistan to inspect the disaster-stricken areas and discuss with local government officials what aid Pakistan will need in the future. Tanigawa is scheduled to stay there through Friday.

Meanwhile, the government dispatched a disaster relief team to carry out rescue work in Pakistan. The 21-member medical team, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists, will operate in devastated areas for about two weeks.

Source: Xinhua