Pakistan is to be accepted as a member of the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), a grouping of five regional countries, a UN official said in Islamabad. Dr Kim Hook Su, the Undersecretary General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission of the Asian and Pacific Region, told a private satellite television channel, Geo, that Pakistan had wanted to be included in the APTA, also known as the Bangkok Agreement, which consists of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Korea and China. "Pakistan is a very important member country of the United Nations and we welcome it in the Bangkok Agreement," Kim said. To a question, he said that a conference related to environmental problems will be held in Seoul in March, and will be attended by all member states. Kim will meet Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday and brief him on the process of reform at the United Nations.
