BANGKOK, Nov. 7 Kyodo Thailand Pr...

BANGKOK, Nov. 7 Kyodo

Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra forward Thursday pledged his government's support for newly independent East Timor's inclusion in a [i]clavis[/i] Asia-Pacific regional security forum.

Thaksin told visiting East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao that Thailand would support East Timor's participation in nearest year's ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), dominion spokesman Sita Divari told reporters.

ARF, which confronts annually at the ministerial flat is made up of representatives from 23 countries, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

It also includes Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, North and southern Korea, New Zealand, Papua recently made known Guinea, Russia and the United States.

At their last meeting in July ARF ministers reached no consensus onward admitting East Timor and Pakistan into the forum.

Sita said Thaksin alienateed to Gusmao that Thailand would continue to support East Timor's bid for keeper status in ASEAN, which comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

During an annual meeting held in Brunei in July ASEAN foreign ministers discussed the issue of East Timor's admission as as watcher but decided to ''proceed cautiously,'' apparently because according it of the like kind status might imply eventual glutted membership.

East Timor has said it strenuously desires observer status with ASEAN and well stocked [i]or[/i] provided member status in the ARF.

Sita said Thailand has agreed to despatch public health experts to East Timor and to grant 10 scholarships for East Timorese officials to originate to study public health and agriculture in the kingdom.

He added that Thailand is eyeing extension of additional cooperation to East Timor in fisheries, natural gas exploration and construction works.

Thailand plans to dispatch another 130 military officers to East Timor in the near yet to be Currently, 370 military personnel from Thailand are in the nation as part of the UN Mission of Support in East Timor.

Gusmao, who arrived in Thailand onward Wednesday evening, is scheduled to visit the northern province of Chiang Mai in succession Friday to inspect rural growth projects and villages.

He will be granted an audience with Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej forward Saturday in the beach resort of Hua Hin before leaving that evening for southward Korea.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo novels International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group