Cooperation crucial for disaster relief

MANADO, Indonesia - No country is capable of coping with major natural disasters alone, which is why 21 nations gathered in Indonesia recently to improve their ability to cooperate in disaster relief operations.

Coming several days after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the ASEAN Regional Forum Disaster Relief Exercises took place in Manado, capital of Indonesia's North Sulawesi province, from March 15 to 19.

Plans to host the event were announced on July 23, 2010 by the foreign ministers of Indonesia and Japan as co-hosts of the exercises, which were attended by around 3,000 observers and participants.