Tehran to host FMs meet of ACD to deepen Intra-Asian cooperation: Iran's acting foreign minister

Tehran is all set to host a Ministerial meeting for Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) member states this week, according to Iran's acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Bagheri Kani.

Tehran is all set to host a Ministerial meeting for Ministers of Foreign Affairs 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 witness the presence of Foreign Ministers and senior officials from 35 countries, along with heads of regional and multilateral Asian organizations.

The multilateral event takes place at a time when Iran mourns the loss of late President Ebrahim Raisi and late Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian. "The incumbent Iranian government has shown a serious and remarkable commitment, led by the martyred President and Foreign Minister, to compensate the monopolized interaction and reliance on the West by focusing on the East, fostering the Asian identity and ultimately ensuring that good-neighbourliness policies serve collective development and security," the acting Foreign Minister of Iran said, as per the statement.

"Undoubtedly, promoting regional integrity through active membership to regional and global organizations would save the international community from the harms of the dominant systems and direct it towards multilateralism as a means of realizing justice in the international arena. The current Iranian administration's particular focus on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS, which started following Iran's official membership to these two international mechanisms which are based on multilateral thinking and were continued with its active participation would be studied from the same perspective," the statement added. He added that the emerging powers' membership in this forum will further energize it to form its identity and enhance optimism about its promising future.

"Asia and the world are still deeply saddened and shocked by the ongoing atrocities and genocide perpetrated by the Zionist regime in the Gaza Strip. The humanitarian catastrophe has been in place for more than eight months in Palestine, and the international community, hindered by the dominance system, has failed to stop the attacks against the innocent people, particularly women and children," the statement read. Meanwhile, each of the ACD member states has made efforts in their turns to end these crimes, establish a ceasefire and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

It is still essential to make collective efforts in this regard as a step in line with the ACD objectives which will be emphasized during the Tehran meeting. "Established in 2002, the ACD encompasses a vast expanse of the Asian continent and its 35 member states represent 56 per cent of the world's population and 35 per cent of the global GDP. Through dialogue and partnership, these nations aim to develop their relations in various fields such as transportation and communication, sciences, technology and innovation, education and human resource development, food, energy, and water security, culture and tourism and inclusive and sustainable development," the statement quoted Bagheri Kani as saying.

Iran joined the ACD in 2004 and is considered one of its active members. Since October 2023, the Iranian late Foreign Minister was the ACD Chair. In addition to Iran, the ACD's member states include Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Nepal, Russia, Turkiye, Japan, China, Mongolia, South Korea, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, Palestine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

"Forming an 'Asian Community' is one of the ACD's stated aspirations. Given the rich cultural heritage and lasting values of Asia, as well as the continent's strong potential and actual economic and technological foundations, if a stronger sense of belonging to an Asian community is created among the Asian peoples, it will undoubtedly bring about several significant benefits. This would also encourage the Asian states to form Asian coalitions and ultimately an "Asian Union" at an appropriate time and the ACD can play a crucial role in this regard," the statement read further. Appointing Yazd as the "ACD Tourism Capital for 2024" has provided a suitable ground for hosting various Asian cultural and tourism activities.

Moreover, this year, Yazd will host a meeting of the ACD tourism ministers, where they will make decisions regarding their upcoming cooperation. In May, Isfahan hosted the Chambers of Commerce from the ACD member states, resulting in the conclusion of some agreements on future joint measures and the "Isfahan Pact."

Iran's foreign policy includes multilateralism, good neighbourliness and collective development through regionalism. Thus, countering unilateralism and hegemony and supporting regional and extra-regional multilateral mechanisms are among Iran's top diplomatic priorities. The ACD Ministerial meeting in Tehran will review and decide on some of these measures and initiatives. (ANI)

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