Press Release (2005)043 24 March 2005

Statement by the Secretary General on NATO donation to Indonesia for Tsunami Reconstuction © Dutch Ministry of Defence NATO is donating 565 metres of bridge equipment to assist Indonesia in dealing with the consequences of the tsunami disaster. The equipment is being handed over to the Netherlands on 25 March, in Ploce, Croatia. The Netherlands, with support from the United Kingdom, is acting as lead nation, and will transfer the equipment to Indonesia. The equipment is scheduled to arrive in Banda Aceh, Sumatra around 15 April 2005. The bridges, valued at more than 6 million Euros, are a donation to Indonesia and will not be returned to NATO. For further information, please contact the NATO Press and Media Service in Brussels, tel.: +32 (0) 2 707 50 41, fax: +32 (0) 2 707 50 57 or Mr. Guenter Bretschneider in the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (tel.: +32 (0) 2 707 26 70).

Tel: Fax: +32 (0)2 707 50 41 +32 (0)2 707 50 57 B-1110 Brussels/Bruxelles http://www.nato.int press@hq.nato.int