Bangkok: Pakistan will continue to bid for a place in the high-profile regional security grouping ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) despite objections from India, Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri said.

"India should be happy that we have another forum where we can talk about various issues of our concern rather than approaching (each other) in a negative manner," Kasuri told a local daily 'The Nation'.

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is part of the 23-member ARF, has lifted the moratorium on new members joining the group. However, India, which is a member of the ARF had said at a grouping meeting last week in Cambodia that entry of new members like Pakistan needed to be further discussed before they could be admitted.

Thailand and some members of the 10-member ASEAN had supported Islamabad's application to join ARF.

Kasuri was in Thailand to attend the second Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), which ended on June 22. He said Pakistan has offered to host the fourth ACD meeting.

ACD members will meet in China in 2004 for their third meeting.

PTI