The request for Sri Lanka to participate in the ARF has been accepted at the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and 13th ARF held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sri Lanka become the 27th participant of the ARF and played an important and remarkable role at ARF as the security flat form for the region. ARF is one of the main ASEAN Sectoral Ministerial Bodies under the purview of ASEAN Political Security Council.
Sri Lanka tied hands with the ARF as an observer state in 2007 by evaluating the phase of Confidence Building to the development of Preventive Diplomacy.Sri Lanka’s membership at the ARF would be beneficial for Sri Lanka to make an important role for further engagement with ASEAN and its categories in the future. ARF has members of the Shaghai Coopeation Organization (SCO), which is informally understood as the counter balance to NATO. Sri Lanka is also a Dialogue Partner of the SCO.
Joint Maritime Workshop in Sri Lanka with Australia together with ASEAN country under the flagship of ARF – in 2013. ARF Seminar and Training on Preventive Diplomacy and Mediation from 29th November to 2nd December 2015 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Mr. O.L. Ameer Ajwad/Actg. Director General of East Asia and Pacific attended at this Seminar. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs attended the 23rd Meeting ARF was held on 26th July 2016.
Mr. H.J. Premakumara, Scientific Officer and Ms. A. S.M.T.N. Attanayake – Technical Assistant attended at the Second ASEAN Regional Forum Workshop on non-Proliferation nuclear Forensics in Bangkok, Thailand from 10-12 September 2013.
Sri Lanka has ratified and undertook to perform and observe all its provisions and to take all such lawful measures as may be necessary to prevent the violation under the ratification of the Third Protocol to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC).
Sri Lanka enjoys wide ranging bilateral relations with all ASEAN Countries for several decades and some countries dating back centuries .