ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF):

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is an important platform for security dialogue in the Asia-Pacific region. It involves not only the ten ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states but also several key non-ASEAN countries that are important stakeholders in regional security.

1. History and Formation:

• The ARF was established in 1994 during the 26th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Bangkok, Thailand.
• It was created to address growing security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region, offering a multilateral setting for discussing and resolving political and security issues.

2. Membership:

• The ARF consists of 27 members: the 10 ASEAN member states and 17 other participants, including countries like:

• • India
  • China
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Russia
  • The United States
  • The European Union
  • Canada, and others.

• India has been a member since 1996.