ASEAN to seek statement on crisis

ASEAN to seek statement on crisis

NASUGBU, Philippines (AFP): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will seek a special leaders' statement at a London meeting urging other nations to do more to address the regional currency crisis, an official said here Monday.

The move was agreed at a meeting of senior ASEAN officers outside Manila, Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja said.

The special statement would be separate from the final statement from the Asia-Europe-Meeting (ASEM) which opens on April 2 to be issued by the meeting's chairman, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Baja said.

It would likely call on developed countries to "make efforts to restore confidence" in the region and to open up their markets and provide bank and credit facilities to the crisis-hit countries as well, Baja said.

The United States, Japan and Europe would be urged to come up with tangible measures to help the affected countries.