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India's no to Pak presence in ASEAN forum

India has rejected proposals to invite Pakistan to a security forum next month of officials from Southeast Asian nations and other countries.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon said that India's Minister of State for External Affairs Vasundhara Raje has informed him of her country's position on Pakistan's participation.

Siazon said Raje told him the problem is essentially between India and Pakistan and that they should be given the opportunity, and time, to "work on this bilateral problem and hopefully present a common solution.''

Raje was in Manila overnight, on Wednesday, in course of a tour that includes Vietnam and Singapore.

Siazon is chairman, for the year, of the Association of South East Asian Nations, which is holding a meeting of its regional forum -- a security grouping -- in Manila on July 27.

UNI

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