JAKARTA, Jan 6 (AFP) - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is expected to promise to swiftly disburse a 500-million-dollar grant for victims of last month's tsunami disaster at an emergency summit here Thursday.
Japanese officials said Tokyo was prepared to release all of its pledged money by the end of March, when the Japanese financial year ends.
"The 500 million dollars -- that will all be disbursed as grants and we are already prepared to disburse all the pledged money.
"We believe that is unprecedented in the history of international aid," said a Japanese government official attending the meeting.
The one-day international conference has drawn together world leaders to address ways to help countries devastated by the December 26 tragedy that has left nearly 150,000 dead and millions in need.
Japanese officials said Tokyo would consider more aid for longer-term reconstructive needs in the tsunami-hit region.
Koizumi is also expected to call on other world leaders to allow a moratorium on affected countries' debt payments.
"Other governments might be promising larger amounts of aid, but their promises may include money for long-term reconstruction projects," the Japanese official said.
"The pledge from Japan all will go to meet the immediate needs of victim countries. Japan will offer more aid in the future for medium- to long-term reconstruction demands," he said.
The comment came as Australia jumped to the forefront of the international drive on the eve of the tsunami summit with a one billion Australian dollar (764 million US dollar) aid offer aimed at rebuilding devastated areas of Indonesia.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said his nation would give 500 million Australian dollars in grants over the next five years and another 500 million dollars in long-term interest free loans.
Germany has pledged 500 million euros (668 million US dollars) for the relief effort while the United States has offered 350 million dollars.
Japan wants to demonstrate its resolve to forge closer relations with Asian nations with the swift releasing of the aid money, the Japanese official said.
"The disaster came just as Japan was working to build stronger ties with the rest of Asia economically and politically," he said.
"Because Japan historically has suffered from earthquakes and tsunami damages, we are considering this disaster as if it is our own," he said.
Koizumi is scheduled to meet with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in Jakarta and discuss Japan's readiness to respond to an expected UN flash appeal for money to help tsunami victims.
The Japanese premier is also likely to reiterate Japan's support for Annan's drive to reform the global body, another Japanese official said.
Japan is lobbying international leaders in a bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
01/06/2005 02:06 GMT - AFP