DUSHANBE, October 10, 2011, Asia-Plus — Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi heading a government delegation yesterday departed for Kuwait to attend the 10 Ministerial Meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), the Tajik MFA information department reports.
The Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) is a body created in 2002 to promote Asian cooperation at a continental level and to help integrate separate regional cooperation organizations such as ASEAN, SAARC and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The main objectives of the ACD are to: promote interdependence among Asian countries in all areas of cooperation by identifying Asia”s common strengths and opportunities which will help reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for Asian people whilst developing a knowledge-based society within Asia and enhancing community and people empowerment; expand the trade and financial market within Asia and increase the bargaining power of Asian countries in lieu of competition and, in turn, enhance Asia”s economic competitiveness in the global market; serve as the missing link in Asian cooperation by building upon Asia”s potentials and strengths through supplementing and complementing existing cooperative frameworks so as to become a viable partner for other regions; and ultimately transform the Asian continent into an Asian Community, capable of interacting with the rest of the world on a more equal footing and contributing more positively towards mutual peace and prosperity.
The idea of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue was raised at the First International Conference of Asian Political Parties (held in Manila on September 17–20, 2000) by Surakiart Sathirathai, then deputy leader of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, on behalf of his party leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, then Prime Minister of Thailand. It was suggested that Asia as a continent should have its own forum to discuss Asia-wide cooperation. Afterwards, the idea of the ACD was formally put forward during the 34th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Hanoi (July 23–24, 2001) and at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat in Phuket (February 20–21, 2002).
We will recall that the previous 9th ACD Ministerial Meeting was held in Tehran, Iran on November 8-9, 2010 and the next 11th ACD Ministerial meeting is expected to take place in 2012 in Tajikistan.
The ACD was founded by 18 members and currently comprises the 31 states (including all current members of ASEAN and the GCC). Tajikistan joined ACD on June 5, 2006.
