ISLAMABAD: Japanese ambassador Matsuda Kuninori on Wednesday pushed his country and Pakistan for making joint efforts to effectively deal with natural disasters. “Japan and Pakistan have many good things in common but one challenge both countries have in common is the occurrence of natural disasters. We must learn lessons from these catastrophic natural disasters and stay together and make joint efforts to deal with such disasters. Natural disaster prevention and preparedness are the key to the economic and social development of countries like Japan and Pakistan,” the envoy said in a message ahead of March 11 when Japan will mark the 10th anniversary of an earthquake and tsunami that caused colossal loss of public life and property in the north-eastern coast of the country in 2011. Paying tribute to the victims of the earthquake, Kuninori praised Pakistan’s ‘generous support to the Japanese people during that difficult time of their lives’. “We strongly appreciate the government and the people of Pakistan for their generous and unwavering support in the aftermath of earthquake and tsunami in 2011.” The ambassador said after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, many foreigners were evacuated from Tokyo, but a group of Pakistani expatriates living in Japan including the Tokyo Metropolitan area took a risk to visit all the way to disaster struck areas of Japan to provide food and warm blankets to the affected Japanese people. He said that was a great act of valor and sympathy for the fellow humans and Japan will never ever forget about this strong friendship and empathy shown by the Pakistani expatriates living in Japan. “Ten years have passed after that fateful incident but the support extended by the Pakistani residents in Japan at that difficult time is still fresh in the hearts and minds of the people of Japan,” he said. The ambassador said the earthquake had shaken the earth but it never be able to shake the friendship and bilateral relationship between Japan and Pakistan. He said that was a symbolic slogan by the Pakistani people to show their heartfelt support to Japan ten years ago. Kuninori sent a letter of appreciation to Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the occasion.