JAKARTA, June 27: Pakistan is scheduled to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in South East Asia here on July 2, to ensure that it enters a process where confidence-building measures are given priority.

The treaty governs relations among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to promote regional peace and stability.

Pakistan will be participating at the two-day Asean Regional Forum, being held here from July 1.

Established in 1994, the ARF groups 23 countries, including Australia, Brunei Daressalam, Cambodia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. Pakistan will join the group as its 24th member during the forthcoming session.

ARF's objectives, as outlined in the first ARF chairman's statement, are: to foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern; and to make significant contributions to efforts towards confidence-building and preventive diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region.

The ARF meetings are held at Asean foreign minister-level annually, in conjunction with the Asean post-ministerial conferences.-APP