LOC15:20
12:20 GMT
(With photos)
MANAMA, Nov 25 (KUNA) -- Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad
Al-Khalifa stressed here on Monday the significance of promoting cooperation
among Asian countries.
In a keynote speech at the 12th ministerial meeting of the Asia Cooperation
Dialogue (ACD), he called for creating Asian partnership for investment in
industry and alternative energy, promoting environmental tourism and boosting
women's empowerment.
He hailed the one-day ACD meeting as a good opportunity for Asian
decision-makers to share views and experience to establish partnership
relations in order to enable Asian leaders to be key players.
He added that the ACD was established as a forum for all Asian countries,
attracting 33 states, in order to become an effective mechanism for strategic
cooperation.
He noted that economic and social developments in the Asian continent
requires all-out response by propping up Asian economic integration.
The Asian continent is rich in various cultural, human, economic and
strategic potential, he said, pointing to a Bahraini working paper on the
development of Asian environmental tourism by launching an Asian touristic
city.
The Bahraini document is primarily intended to find fresh ways to reinforce
cooperation, encourage investment in new sectors, open cultural and touristic
exchange and boost the competitive edge of ACD member states in tourism, he
said.
The Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) was inaugurated in June 2002 in Cha-Am,
Thailand, where 18 Asian Foreign Ministers met together for the first time.
The ACD is a continent-wide forum, the first of its kind in Asia.
More specifically, the ACD aims to constitute the missing link in Asia by
incorporating every Asian country and building an Asian Community without
duplicating other organizations or creating a bloc against others. A key
principle is to consolidate Asian strengths and fortify Asia's competitiveness
by maximizing the diversity and rich resources evident in Asia.
The core values of the ACD are positive thinking; informality; voluntarism;
non-institutionalization; openness; respect for diversity; the comfort level
of member countries; and the evolving nature of the ACD process. (end)
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KUNA 251520 Nov 13NNNN