101.   Estrada said he would bring up a proposal to use Southeast Asian currencies in regional trade transactions to enable countries in the region to save U.S. dollar reserves.

102.   For this, Asean has agreed to use regional currencies to promote intra-trade.

103.   Getting Thailand back on track does not require embracing new and misguided ideas of Prime Minister Mahathir, especially not his plan to use Asean currencies for intra-regional trade.

104.   He has called for using regional currencies as much as possible for trade among Southeast Asian countries in place of U.S. dollars.

105.   He also identified Sudan and Egypt as possible markets where their own currencies could be used in trading.

106.   He said ASEAN was determined to increase intra-trade volumes without using foreign currency.

107.   He said citizens of Albania are coming into Kosovo while the Albanian currency is being used in many cities.

108.   He said he supports a Malaysian proposal to use Southeast Asian currencies for intra-regional trade in the wake of the regional currency crisis.

109.   He said by using local currencies, countries need not spend more to buy US dollars in their transactions.

110.   He will also explain the proposal to use Asean currencies, instead of the US dollar, in efforts to promote intra-Asean trade.