Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Tuesday that finance ministers from the Group of Seven countries would hold a telephone conference that night.

"I was told that there would be such a conference, but I don't know what the topic will be," Shiokawa told a regular news conference.

The finance ministers from the G7 countries — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — had planned to hold their annual meeting late this month in Washington, but this was rescheduled due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.

U.S. Treasury Department spokesman Tony Fratto said the new date would soon be announced. German and Italian financial officials had earlier said the G7 meeting would likely be held in Washington as early as Oct. 6.

A U.S. administration source said the meeting would probably still take place in Washington.

The G7 countries are likely to exchange views on recent developments in stock and foreign-exchange markets in the wake of the terror attacks, as well as measures to cut the flow of funds to terrorist groups.

Shiokawa also said Haruhiko Kuroda, vice finance minister for international affairs, was to depart for Europe and the U.S. on Tuesday to meet his G7 counterparts.

Assets to be frozen

Japan will move to freeze the assets of individuals and organizations linked to terrorist groups, Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Tuesday.

The actions will follow a similar move made by U.S. President George W. Bush, who signed an executive order freezing the assets of individuals and organizations that serve as a "front" for terrorism.

The White House released an initial list of 27 individuals and organizations subject to the asset freeze in the U.S.