Washington, DC - Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, today conferred with Shiro Sadoshima, the Director-General of the International Cooperation Bureau in Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on matters of mutual interest such as flood relief for Pakistan, assistance for Afghanistan, the Millennium Development Goals and other areas of overlap in development efforts worldwide.

Shah and Sadoshima met for the first time at USAID headquarters in Washington. Japan is a key development partner for the United States, particularly in global health, agriculture, water, infrastructure and public-private partnerships.

Shah had just returned from several days in flood-ravaged Pakistan, and he thanked Sadoshima for Japan's efforts there. "The international community is working hand in hand with Pakistani partners to meet the needs of millions who have been affected by this disaster, and I was deeply impressed by the significant steps taken in the relief effort," Shah said. "We now need to expand our capabilities in that area and consider how to move toward recovery and reconstruction once the relief phase is done. We must focus on planning for the multi-year effort that will be needed to ensure that the Pakistani people can rebuild."

The two officials took note of Japanese-U.S. development efforts in Afghanistan, including ongoing work with the donor community. They exchanged views on how the U.S. and Japan can contribute to achieving health outcomes by supporting the national health programs of partner countries. They also discussed the long tradition of bilateral cooperation on health matters, including the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, avian influenza, polio, and neglected tropical diseases; and to improve maternal and child health care, water and sanitation , and hygiene; and to strengthen health systems. And they agreed on the importance of the Millennium Development Goals and working together toward meeting the goals by 2015.