DUSHANBE, March 27, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- Delegations from member nations of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) are arriving in Dushanbe for participation in the 11th ACD ministerial meeting.

Davlat Nazriyev, a spokesman for the Tajik MFA, told journalists on March 27 that the delegations will meet at the Kokhi Somon in Dushanbe on March 28 to discuss issues related to the 11th ACD ministerial meeting and discuss the final text of the meeting’s resulting document – the Dushanbe Declaration.

The main event – the 11th ACD ministerial meeting – will be held at the Kokhi Somon on March 29, Nazriyev noted.  Tajik President Emomali Rahmon is expected to address the meeting.

On the sidelines of the meeting, heads of the delegation will hold talks with Tajik president and foreign minister.

We will recall that Tajikistan formally took over as rotating chair of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue last year.  Tajikistan took over leadership of the ACD from Kuwait at the 10th ACD ministerial meeting that took place in Kuwait on October 14-15, 2012.

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