YOGYAKARTA, May 10: India has shown a 'positive response' to Pakistan's application to join an Asia-Pacific security forum, an Indonesian official said on Monday.
He said senior officials from 23 members of the Asean Regional Forum would decide on Wednesday whether to admit Pakistan, whose membership was previously blocked by India.
"It will be decided at this coming ARF meeting in Yogyakarta. If accepted, Pakistan will attend the ARF meeting in Jakarta in early July," foreign ministry official Makarim Wibisono told reporters.
Mr Wibisono said Indonesia and all other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) supported Pakistan's admission and Jakarta had lobbied New Delhi and other ARF members.
Mr Wibisono was speaking on the sidelines of an Asean senior officials' meeting. The ARF includes the 10 Asean countries and partners Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South and North Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia, and the United States. -APP