India on Wednesday joined the ten-nation ASEAN security pact.

India's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation was signed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and heads of state or government of the ASEAN countries at the second India-ASEAN Summit in Bali.

Significantly, China, which like India is a dialogue partner of the grouping, also joined the 1976 treaty, under which members pledge respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, non-interference in the internal affairs of one another and peaceful settlement of intra-regional disputes.

The treaty was amended in 1998 to allow countries outside ASEAN to accede to it with the consent of all the 10 member nations -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mayanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Joint Declaration on Terrorism initialled by External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and ASEAN foreign ministers envisages exchange of information, cooperation in legal matters, free cooperation in enforcement matters, institutional capacity building and training to combat the scourge.

External Link: 9th ASEAN Summit