Sri Lanka becomes the 27^th participant to join ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) [Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 10.00 GMT]

The request of Sri Lanka to participate in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was accepted at the 39^th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the 13^th ASEAN Regional Forum held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

According to Foreign Ministry communiqué Sri Lanka becomes the 27^th participant of the ARF and will be present at the next Meeting scheduled to be held in Manila in 2007.

The inaugural meeting of the ARF was held in Bangkok July 25, 1994. The ASEAN Regional Forum is premised on the idea drawn from the ASEAN experience that a process of dialogue can produce qualitative improvements in political relationships. It is the primary Asian forum in which members can discuss current regional security issues and develop cooperative measures to enhance peace and security in the region.

Sri Lanka’s request for ARF participation was made a few years ago and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with Sri Lankan Missions abroad campaigned vigorously with the member states to achieve this objective. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera reiterated Sri Lanka’s intention to seek participation in the ASEAN Regional Forum during his recent meeting in Colombo with his Malaysian counterpart Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar who currently hold the Chairmanship of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Sri Lanka’s entry into the ARF reflects her proactive role at regional and multilateral for a making significant contribution towards confidence building and promoting conflict resolution through dialogue.

The ASEAN Regional Forum brings together 10 ASEAN countries – Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam along with representatives from Australia, Brunei, Darussalam, Bangladesh, Canada, China, European Union, India, Japan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Myanmar, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russian Federation, Timor Leste and the United States. Sri Lanka will join at the next meeting.

The ARF has assumed greater significance in view of the increased security alertness in the Asia Pacific Region, including the heightened awareness and cooperation in counter terrorism measures, as well as issues related to maritime piracy and transnational crime.

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Last Updated Date: August  1, 2006 - 10.00 GMT