Tehran to Host Ministerial Meeting for Asian Cooperation Dialogue

Tehran to Host Ministerial Meeting for Asian Cooperation Dialogue

Dil Bar Irshad | June 24, 2024 | 08:33 AM IST | Iran, World | Follow on Google News

Tehran to Host Ministerial Meeting for Asian Cooperation Dialogue

Tehran to Host Ministerial Meeting for Asian Cooperation Dialogue

Key Highlights:

1. Tehran to host the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Ministerial meeting.
2. Event to include Foreign Ministers and officials from 35 member states.
3. Focus on regional cooperation and multilateralism.

Tehran is set to host a Ministerial meeting for Foreign Ministers of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) member states this week, according to Iran’s acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Bagheri Kani. The meeting will feature representatives from 35 countries and heads of regional and multilateral Asian organizations.

This multilateral event comes as Iran mourns the loss of late President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian. In a statement, Bagheri Kani highlighted Iran’s shift towards fostering an Asian identity and ensuring that good-neighbourliness policies promote collective development and security.

“The current Iranian administration’s focus on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS aligns with its multilateral approach, aiming for justice in the international arena,” Bagheri Kani said. He added that the inclusion of emerging powers in this forum will energize its mission and enhance optimism about its future.

The meeting will also address ongoing issues such as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Bagheri Kani noted the atrocities committed by the Zionist regime in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the need for collective efforts to establish a ceasefire and deliver humanitarian aid, in line with ACD objectives.

The ACD, established in 2002, includes 35 member states representing 56% of the world’s population and 35% of global GDP. The dialogue aims to develop relations in fields like transportation, communication, science, technology, education, food security, energy, water security, culture, tourism, and sustainable development.

Iran, a member since 2004, has been an active participant in the ACD. The acting Minister emphasized the vision of forming an “Asian Community,” which could lead to significant benefits and potentially an “Asian Union.”

In addition to the ministerial meeting, Yazd has been appointed the “ACD Tourism Capital for 2024,” hosting various cultural and tourism activities. This year, Yazd will also host a meeting of ACD tourism ministers to plan future cooperation.

Iran’s foreign policy focuses on multilateralism, regionalism, and collective development, countering unilateralism and hegemony. The Tehran meeting will review and decide on measures to strengthen these diplomatic priorities.

(Inputs from Tehran’s Media)

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.