SEOUL, Dec 8 — Vice finance ministers of South Korea, China, Japan, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have agreed to improve a currency swap mechanism as part of efforts to boost overall financial cooperation, said Seoul's Ministry of Economy and Finance yesterday.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — Malaysia believes there is a need for a more effective and just international monetary cooperation mechanism that could help address the realities and needs of developing countries.