BHUBANESWAR: Japan has expressed its gratitude to India for the "true friendship and feeling of goodwill" it showed in the aftermath of the March 11 tsunami and the consequent devastation in that country.In a message released by the Japanese consulate in Kolkata, Japan's prime minister Naoto Kan said: "I am very thankful that, immediately upon learning of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh sent me his heartfelt condolences, expressing India's full solidarity with the government and people of Japan, and offering to help Japan in any way required. The members of both Houses of the Parliament read out messages of condolences."He said the government of India "sent us blankets, bottles of mineral water and packets of high-calorie biscuits, all of which have come in handy and are truly appreciated by the evacuees". The Japanese PM added: "In addition, India dispatched a 46-member NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) Response Force team to join in the relief efforts in the affected region, demonstrating India's true friendship and feeling of goodwill towards Japan. Support has poured in, not only from the government but also from numerous groups and organizations and individuals, as countless messages of sympathy, functions of condolence, charity events and donations for relief. I wish to express our sincere thanks for all the sympathy and assistance extended by the Indian people."The message said Japan had been making :all-out efforts to restore livelihoods and recover from the series of tragedies that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake", which left more than 25,000 people dead or missing, including foreign citizens. Kan expressed his "sincerest gratitude for the outpouring of support and solidarity received from over 130 countries, nearly 40 international organizations, numerous NGOs, and countless individuals from all parts of the world". "The Japanese people deeply appreciate the Kizuna (a Japanese word for bonds of friendship') that has been shown to us by friends around the world. Through this hardship, we have also come to truly understand the meaning of a friend in need is a friend indeed," he said.The Japanese prime minister said bringing the Daiichi nuclear plant at Fukushima under control at the earliest possible date had been his top priority.' He said his government has also mobilized all available resources to combat the risks posed by the plant, based on three principles: first, give the highest priority to the safety and health of all citizens, in particular those residents living close to the plant; second, conduct thorough risk management; and, third, plan for all possible scenarios so that we are fully prepared to respond to any future situation'. Beside initiating measures to stop outflow of radioactive water into the ocean from the plant', the government has taken every possible measure to ensure the safety of all food and other products, based on strict scientific criteria'. "We have taken highly precautionary measures so that the safety of all Japanese food and products that reach the market has been and will continue to be ensured. In order to assure domestic and foreign consumer confidence in the safety of Japanese food and products, my administration will redouble its efforts to maintain transparency and keep everyone informed of our progress in the complex and evolving circumstances at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant," Kan pointed out.