The conclusion of the ASEAN + 3 Finance Ministers meeting in Phuket will be presented to the ASEAN Summit to be held in the Thai province of Prachuab Kiri Khan at the end of this month. The Association of South East Asian Nations or ASEAN plus 3 other countries, Japan, Korea and Chinas Finance Ministers meeting at the Sheraton Grand Laguna Resort in Bangtao, Phuket, was co-chaired by the Thai Minister of Finance, Korn Chatikavanij, and Korean Minister of Finance Jeung Hyun Yoon. The objectives of the special meeting were to encourage and strengthen economic and financial cooperation among the ASEAN + 3 countries and build stronger international relationships at a time of global economic downturn and unstable financial systems which will eventually affect the ASIAN region as a whole. The Thai Finance Minister stressed to the participating ministers that the meeting will send strong signals to the world that they are committed to alleviate the problems and take the issues of the global economic downturn seriously. The Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajiva flew down from Bangkok for the luncheon meeting and gave a welcome speech in which he remarked that Phuket has fully recovered from the tsunami, has become more livelier and robust than ever, and hoped it served as an inspiration for the region, a congenial environment for a successful meeting, and the energy of Phuket will invigorate ASEAN + 3 to keep on working for the betterment of people for years to come, to withstand …