Leaders and delegates from 34 member countries have joined the ACD Summit, held under the theme "One Asia, Diverse Strengths.” The summit will start shortly at the Thai Foreign Ministry’s convention hall. The leaders of the region will jointly set guidelines for future cooperation for the prosperity and stability of the Asian community. President Maithripala Sirisena will address the second Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit between 1100h – 1200h this morning.
ACD is an Asian regional cooperation framework initiated by Thailand in 2002 with the aim to connect countries in Asia and to build an Asian community. Each year, policymakers from all ACD member states participate in discussions and exchanges of ideas on regional cooperation. The participation will enhance understanding and trust among the member countries, as well as consolidating their strengths and fortifying their competitiveness.
This year, as chair of ACD, Thailand will engage all member countries in discussions on cooperative frameworks under the six pillars of ACD, which will lead ACD to the achievements of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The six pillars of cooperation include (1) connectivity; (2) science, technology, and innovation; (3) education and human resource development; (4) food, energy, and water security; (5) culture and tourism; and (6) promotion of inclusive growth and sustainable development.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thailand, at this summit, heads of delegates will encourage all ACD member states to utilize the strength of the Asian diversity in driving the capability of all Asian countries to balance the global economy. The leaders also expect to eradicate inequality among sub-regions in Asia. Importantly, all member states will share the vision which aims to achieve the foundation of the Asian Community in 2030. There will be two outcome documents: the Bangkok Declaration and the ACD Vision for Asia Cooperation 2030.