DUSHANBE, February 1, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan is making preparations for the 11th Ministerial Meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) that will take place in Dushanbe this year.

An organizing committee has been set up for holding the meeting at a proper level and Matloubkhon Davlatov, First Deputy Prime Minister, heads the committee, Davlat Nazriyev a spokesman for the Tajik MFA, told journalists on February 1.

According to him, the organizing committee has worked out the preliminary program and a draft Dushanbe declaration.  The meeting will take lace in Dushanbe from March 28-29, 2013,” Nazriyev noted.    

The 10th ACD Ministerial Meeting was held n Kuwait in October 2012 and Tajikistan formally took over rotating chair of the ACD from Kuwait.

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 ACD was founded by 18 members and currently comprises the 32 states (including all current members of ASEAN and the GCC).

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; 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.