The 13th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting in Kuala Lumpur will see Bangladesh included as its 26th member led by Foreign Minister Morshed Khan to strengthen participation in the group. Bangladesh will share its experience in peace-keeping and disaster management and is expected to stress closer cooperation in peace-keeping, counter-terrorism, and disaster relief. The ARF will provide it an opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with peer nations.

The ARF was established in 1994, to deal with security issues such as confidence-building measures, peace-keeping, disaster relief, counter-terrorism, transnational crimes, maritime security, and preventive diplomacy.