FM attends ACD foreign ministers’ meeting

BANGKOK, Sept 23 (TNA) - Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai has briefed Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Thailand’s success of hosting the 1st Working Group Meeting on Promoting Approaches to Inclusive and Sustainable Development. Mr Don conducted the briefing on Thursday during the sidelines of the 72nd United Nations General Assembly. The meeting was chaired by Iranian foreign minister and attended by 34 senior representatives of member states. Thailand hosted the working group meeting on August 21 and the International Training Course on Microcredit and Sufficiency Economy between August 20-September 2. During the meeting, Mr Don also informed them the country’s intention to host the International Training Course on Sufficiency Economy and its application at the community level next July. According to a press release issued by the ministry, Thailand joined the United Arab Emirates and other member countries as the Co-Prime Mover on Energy. In this regard, Thailand will host the ACD Meeting on Energy back-to-back with the 7th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable in Bangkok in November to further support the dynamism of this Pillar. Participants at the meeting also witnessed the handover of one-year ACD chairmanship from the UAE to Iran, ending next September. The ACD Secretary General, with the support of the Prime Movers of the ACD cooperation pillars namely, (1) Connectivity, (2) Interrelation of Food, Water, and Energy Security, (3) Science, Technology, and Innovation, (4) Education and Human Resource Development, (5) Culture and Tourism, and (6) Promoting Approaches to Inclusive and Sustainable Development reported on the progress made in 2017. The Meeting also discussed the 16th ACD Ministerial Meeting and the 3rd ACD Summit to be held in Tehran in 2018. The ACD was established in 2002 to discuss cooperation and promote understanding among Asian countries, drawing strengths from the diversity of each 34 member states. (TNA)