DUSHANBE, June 2, Asia-Plus — Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi will take part at the 6th ministerial meeting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) that will be held in Seoul, South Korea, on June 4-5, Tajik MFA said.
At this year”s conference, the ACD members will assess their standing in the various cooperation project-areas and seek solid strategies to build on their accomplishments. The ACD members are also scheduled to consider a draft Seoul declaration on information technologies.
According to Tajik MFA, during his stay in Seoul Zarifi is also scheduled to hold a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other member nations of the ACD.
Tajikistan was accepted to the Asian Cooperation Dialogue during the 5th ministerial session that was held in Doha, Qatar, in 2006.
The Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) is a body created in 2002 to promote Asian
cooperation at a continental level, helping to integrate the previously separate regional organizations of political or economical cooperation such as ASEAN, SAARC or the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The idea of an Asia Cooperation Dialogue – ACD – was initiated by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and was first raised during the First International Conference of Asian Political Parties held in Manila on September 17-20 2000 by Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai,
then Deputy Leader of the Thai Rak Thai Party
, on behalf of his Party Leader, Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra, who 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 34
th
ASEAN Foreign Ministers” Meeting in Hanoi on July 23-24 2001 and at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers” Retreat in Phuket on February 20-212002. Both Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
and Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai raised the idea of the ACD with various heads of state and government and foreign ministers and made various statements and speeches, receiving broad support and helpful comments and suggestions.
The ACD currently brings together 30 states from Asia.
