"It is a recognition of the fact that Pakistan is playing an important role not just in the Islamic world but also in promoting regional and international peace," commented Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri who represented Pakistan at the 11th Asean Regional Forum (ARF).
Talking to APP, he said that the historic admission to ARF "has come after eight years", as it had been on the agenda since 1996.
Pakistan's admission into ARF and Commonwealth also proves that Pakistan is conducting a successful foreign policy and "the international community recognises the responsible role that the Government of Pakistan is playing towards the promotion of regional and international peace," Kasuri said.
Asked how Pakistan would co-operate with ARF, he said, "We intend to take very keen interest in ARF because it is a major forum where apart from Asean, major world leaders get together and get an opportunity for bilateral discussions."
He said that India has welcomed Pakistan's joining the ARF. India had earlier been opposing Pakistan's joining of the ARF.
The Pakistan delegation to ARF included Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar, Additional Secretary Salman Bashir, Foreign Office Spokesman, Masood Khan, Director General East Asia Pacific M Naeem Khan, Director Southeast Asia Pacific, Safdar Hayat, Deputy Director Southeast Asia Pacific (II) Farrukh Iqbal Khan, Pakistan's Ambassador to Indonesia Mustafa Anwer Husain and Deputy Head of Mission Moazam Husain Shah.
Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said that Pakistan's jining ARF would enable Pakistan to participate in the deliberations on peace and security, confidence building, and preventive diplomacy. It is also good for Pakistan from the political point of view, besides acting as a catalyst in promoting investment in Pakistan.
Pakistan's admission into the ARF would have positive impact on its economy, trade, investment, industry and agriculture, because "We can benefit from the synergy that we have seen in Asean and the new synergy that is developing between Asean and other important countries," Masood said.
This accomplishment would associate Pakistan more closely with south-east Asian nations and major powers of the global community.
"We shall be participant in the deliberations on global strategic and security issues as well as confidence-building processes," Masood said.
Pakistan has joined the ASEAN Regional Forum as its 24th member. The other 23 member countries are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Chin a, European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, United States and Vietnam.
A state is admitted to ARF only if it can be demonstrated that it has an impact on the peace and security of the "geographical footprint" of key ARF activities that is Northeast and Southeast Asia as well as Oceania.