Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry participated in the 18th Ministerial Meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) yesterday (20/9) on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, at the invitation of Dr. Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the current Chair of the ACD.
The meeting convened under the theme ‘Post-Pandemic Sustainable Recovery’ was an opportunity for foreign ministers to review progress made over the past year in deepening intra-Asian cooperation through the ACD.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister Sabry stated that the ACD is an important mechanism for restoring the cooperation that once existed among the nations of Asia, and its roles and principles as a pan-Asian platform can contribute to regional development and future of an Asian community. The foreign minister expressed Sri Lanka’s gratitude to Bahrain for its leadership of ACD over the past two years and extended the fullest support to Iran, as the incoming Chair, in promoting the objectives of the ACD.
The foreign ministers adopted the Bahrain Declaration that focused on recovery efforts of the ACD as a regional organization following the COVID-19 pandemic, through collaboration.
The Dialogue was inaugurated in 2002 and aims to consolidate Asian strengths and fortify Asia's competitiveness by maximizing the diversity and rich resources in Asia.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in New York participated in the meeting.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo
21 September 2023
