Staff writer
Japan will announce a package of new initiatives aimed at promoting economic cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including lower interest rates on official yen loans for human-resources development, government officials said Friday.
The announcement of the package, which also includes increased Japanese support for "South-South" cooperation among Third World economies, will be made by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto at a meeting of top Japanese and ASEAN leaders in Kuala Lumpur later this month, the officials said.