Kyodo news-ASEAN urges int'l help f

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Subject: Kyodo news-ASEAN urges int'l help for Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam

HANOI, March 20 
ASEAN urges int'l help for Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam

     Finance ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) on Saturday urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the
World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to ''consider
extending special assistance'' to Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to
cushion the impact of the prolonged Asian crisis.
     ''We urge (the international financial institutions) to
intensify their efforts to strengthen institutional capacity,
financial and corporate sector restructuring, and social safety nets
in ASEAN countries,'' the nine ASEAN finance ministers said in a
joint statement issued at the end of the third ASEAN finance
ministers meeting here.