Our 3 March Japanese guests. Our thoughts are with them...

Yesterday, surely like most people around the world, we watched with horror as images of the tragedy of the monstrous earthquake and equally devastating tsunami played on our screens and radios. Our President was swift to put out a statement of compassion and support (here). Just one week ago the Committee’s External Relations Section had co-organised on the Committee’s premises, together with the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation and Kobe University, a seminar on corporate social responsibility in times of economic crisis (programme here) and we had welcomed a number of Japanese friends and colleagues. Kobe being to the south, it would not have been affected directly by the earthquake or the tsunami but it is plain for all to see that a national tragedy and crisis is unfolding and our hearts and thoughts go out to all the families of the victims and the Japanese people.