Border thaw spills to Asean

India may adopt a more flexible approach to the lifting of moratium on the expansion of the 23-member ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) after Pakis...

India may adopt a more flexible approach to the lifting of moratium on the expansion of the 23-member ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) after Pakistan’s written assurance to the ARF that it will not raise bilateral issues, including J-K, with India, in case it is admitted to the group.

In what is being seen as a sign of improving bilateral ties, Pakistan — which has been trying hard for entry into ARF — conveyed its assurance to Indonesia, which currently holds the chairmanship of ASEAN. Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda, in turn, is said to have informed External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha.

The assurance, official sources said, has been given through letters by Islamabad to Jakarta ahead of the crucial ARF senior officials’ meeting on May 11-12. Pakistan is said to have also expressed its commitment to promoting the composite dialogue process with India to resolve all bilateral issues, including J-K.

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The applications of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Timor Leste are pending with the ARF. It must be noted that while the group of ASEAN foreign ministers had earlier recommended lifting the moratorium on expanding the ARF, no final decision could be reached at during the ARF ministerial meeting in June last .

According to sources, the senior officials’ meeting in Jakarta from May 11 will discuss among other issues, the lifting of the moratorium. And in that context would consider the entry of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Timor Leste to the forum.

It must be noted that when Pakistan had first expressed keenness to join the forum, New Delhi had conveyed to the ARF its concerns with Islamabad’s ‘‘practice’’ of raising bilateral matters like the Kashmir issue in multilateral fora.