Pakistan assures India it won't raise bilateral issues at ARF

Makarim Wibisono said India had expressed its concerns that Pakistan would use the 23-member Asean regional forum (ARF) to raise issues such as Kashmir.

But Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda has written to his Indian counterpart Yashwant Sinha to relay Pakistan's assurances, Wibisono said.

Tap Here to Add The Daily Star As A Trusted Source

"There was a letter from the Pakistani foreign minister (Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri) guaranteeing that Pakistan will not raise bilateral issues," Wibisono told reporters.

He said India and Pakistan have lobbied Indonesia, who holds the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), on the issue. "We have told the Indians that their concerns have been addressed."