ISLAMABAD, July 13: Pakistan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are likely to sign a declaration on counter-terrorism on the margins of the 38th Asean Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting to be held in Vientiane, Laos later this month, it has been learnt. The annual 38th Asean Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting is scheduled for July 29.

Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri will be leading a high-level delegation to the meeting at which Pakistan’s case for attaining full dialogue partnership with Asean will also be considered, a foreign ministry source told Dawn on Wednesday.

“Pakistan is very keen that the declaration on counter-terrorism is signed on the sidelines of the upcoming Asean Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting,” the source maintained, adding that it would raise Pakistan’s profile in the bloc.

The Asean groups Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

According to diplomatic sources, Islamabad has relayed its keenness to each Asean member state individually and received promising signals from all.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also sought support for the proposed counter-terrorism declaration from the leadership of four Asean countries (Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Thailand and Singapore) that he visited in May.

Pakistan formally proposed to ink a counter-terrorism declaration with the 10-member Asean earlier this year. Apparently Islamabad has already received positive feedback on the draft of the declaration that it submitted to the Asean secretariat in Jakarta early this year.

According to informed sources, the revised draft with observations from the Asean Secretariat is now with the Interior Ministry. The ministry is expected to give the green light in time for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have it ready for the Asean Regional Forum Ministerial meeting.

If formalized this would be the second major agreement between Asean and Pakistan after the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation which was signed in July 2004. The treaty, which governs ties among the members of Asean, aims at enhancing political and security cooperation among members to promote regional peace and stability.