Pakistan on Friday became the 24th member of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), a high-profile grouping, which meets annually to discuss security issues in the Asia Pacific region.

Pakistan was accepted into the ARF fold after it assured not to raise Kashmir and other Indo-Pak bilateral issues at the forum.

In June, ARF officials agreed to admit Pakistan after India endorsed its application following the assurance and decided to recommend the decision to their ministers.

The ARF comprises 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations and 14 non-ASEAN nations.

The ARF was formed in 1994 by Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, US, Russia, Canada, European Union.

Cambodia joined in 1995, India and Myanmar in 1996, Mongolia in 1999, North Korea in 2000 and Pakistan in 2004.

Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan on Thursday described his country's entry into ARF as 'very important' and said it would 'act as a catalyst to promoting peace' in South Asia.

External Link: Australian government's website on the ARF