TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian was elected as the new head of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) at the 18th ministerial meeting of the forum.

The meeting took place on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly’s 78th session in New York.

Speaking at the conference, Amir Abdollahian emphasized the value of multilateralism and the vital role that multilateral organizations like ACD play in fostering international cooperation and opening up new chances for progress.

The Iranian diplomat announced the theme of the ACD session as “A More Integrated and Capable Asia through Emerging New Technologies” and invited the ACD’s member nations to attend the forum's next gathering in Tehran in 2024.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to maximize its contribution to the ACD during its chairmanship, in close coordination with the Member States and the Secretariat,” he stated.

Back in August, Amir Abdollahian said that Tehran would do everything possible to improve collaboration among ACD countries.

He made the statements during a meeting with ACD Secretary General Pornchai Danvivathana in Tehran.

The senior diplomat declared that while holding the rotating presidency of the ACD, Iran will do all in its power to clear the path for the achievement of the forum’s objectives in addition to fostering collaboration within the group.

Amir Abdollahian remarked that the ACD secretariat plays a key role in fostering collaboration among its members and that Iran is willing to assist the secretariat and the ACD Cultural and Tourism Coordination Center, which its office is in Tehran, in this respect.

Headquartered in Kuwait, the first of its kind in Asia, the Asia Cooperation Dialogue is a continent-wide forum, which was inaugurated in Thailand in 2002. 

The forum comprises 35 Asian member nations, with Bahrain serving as the chair for the last two years.

More precisely, the ACD seeks to fill a gap in Asia by absorbing every Asian country and establishing an Asian community without duplicating existing organizations or forming a bloc against others.

A crucial idea is to maximize Asia’s variety and tap its rich resources in order to solidify Asian strength and enhance its competitiveness.