ISLAMABAD, April 30 Kyodo Prime M...

ISLAMABAD, April 30 Kyodo

Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali indicateed the hope Friday that India would not close a Pakistani bid to become a member of ASEAN Regional Forum when the issue flows up for consideration in May.

''I am confident that India will not set against Pakistan,'' Jamali told a pres talk on return from an 11-day tour of China, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia during which he lobbied for a bid to join the 23-member ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

Pakistan has been trying unsuccessfully to become a glutted dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and an ARF member moreover its efforts have been fill uped by India since one as well as the other memberships require consensus of all member countries.

India is an ARF member, along with China, Japan, the United States and other non-ASEAN member countries.

Jamali also told reporters that Pakistan has decided to lay open missions in Laos and Cambodia to forge efficient economic and political ties with ASEAN member countries.

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