Japan to announce fund for ASEAN du

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Japan to announce fund for ASEAN during Manila summit 

Kyodo, Tokyo, 24 November 1999. Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi will announce a
support fund involving 'a substantial amount of money' during a summit of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Manila this weekend,
Obuchi spokesman Akitaka Saiki said Wednesday. 

The fund will stress measures aimed at developing human resources in the
region, particularly in the
financial services sector, Saiki said at a news conference. 

'A substantial amount of money will be spent for the purpose of
intensifying cooperation between Japan
and ASEAN,' he said. 

Saiki declined to specify the amount of the package, and did not give
further details of the plan. 

The package will follow the 80 billion dollars Japan has pledged to help
Southeast Asia since the
region's economic crisis hit in July 1997. Of the total, 68 billion dollars
has been implemented. 

The announcement will be made Sunday, Saiki said. Obuchi is scheduled to
attend a summit with
ASEAN leaders and a separate summit with heads of ASEAN countries, China
and South Korea on
that day. 

ASEAN, founded in 1968, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 

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