Tokyo announced on 15 October that it would donate $1,500 million to the reconstruction effort in Iraq during 2004. The sum was made public two days before US President Bush visits the country on a tour of the Far East, but the money will be officially offered during the Madrid donors' conference on 23-24 October. The move is seen as a sign of solidarity with the US, which asked for assistance from Tokyo in the reconstruction effort. Japan is expected to donate a total of about $5,000 million over four years to Iraq.