ANALYSTS SKEPTICAL OF SOUTHEAST ASIA ECONOMIC PACKAGE.(MAIN)

Byline: DAVID THURBER Associated Press

HANOI, Vietnam -- Southeast Asian ministers are promoting a package of ``bold measures'' to shore up investor confidence in the region's devastated economies. But analysts are skeptical the steps are bold enough to spark a turnaround of the 17-month-old financial crisis.

``This is very disappointing actually; these are not bold initiatives,'' said Maria Socorro Bautista, an economist at the University of the Philippines. ``This is not new.''

Regional stock and currency markets Monday showed no appreciable reaction to the package. Asian stocks opened slightly weaker, while regional currencies were flat.

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