Statement by Ershad Ahmadi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 12th Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)Ministerial Meeting Manama, Bahrain 25 November 2013 بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم His Excellency Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohamed Al Khalifa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kingdom of Bahrain Royal Highnesses, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Allow me to congratulate the Kingdom of Bahrain for assuming the chairmanship of the 12th Ministerial Meeting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue, and to express our sincere gratitude for the excellent arrangements made for this meeting and for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to us. I would also like to commend the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan for the successful conclusion of its term as the chair of the 11th ACD Ministerial Meeting. Taking this opportunity, I convey Afghanistan’s tribute and appreciation to the Kingdom of Thailand for its tireless work, as coordinator of the ACD. On behalf of the Afghan government, may I also express our deep condolences to the government and the people of Philippines for the loss of life and suffering caused by Typhoon Haiyan. Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, Our continent is blessed with massive resources and huge potential. Only through enhanced cooperation and coordination can we can use our capabilities to bring about prosperity and harmony to our region. Since its inception, the Asian Cooperation Dialogue has played an important role in promoting best practices and providing a valuable platform for exchange and collaboration. We believe that the two dimensions of ACD, namely dialogue and project cooperation, can effectively address regional issues both from political and practical perspectives. This approach resonates well with the vision and objectives that Afghanistan pursues through the Heart of Asia or Istanbul Process. Therefore, we are proud of our membership in the ACD and remain committed to working with member states to achieve ACD’s goals and objectives. We also call on other countries in this continent to join this forum in order address our common challenges in a more concerted manner. In this regard, we are delighted to welcome Turkey as a new member of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue. We also welcome efforts towards institutionalizing ACD, including the establishment of ACD Provisional Secretariat in Kuwait. Mr. Chairman, Afghanistan has always been deeply affected by the region that surrounds it. The threats we continue to face have all regional dimensions, as do the opportunities we seek to take on the path to stability, peace and prosperity. Tackling the common challenges to the security and wellbeing of our peoples require constructive engagement and cooperation. Afghanistan has taken active part in the deliberations and initiatives of all the regional organizations and processes. Regional cooperation is the core of our foreign policy. Our vision for Afghanistan is to regain its historic role as a regional land bridge, along the Silk Road, connecting South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe in trade, transit and economic interaction. Multi-country projects such as Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project and the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Projects (CASA), can bring unprecedented positive change to the people of Central and South Asia regions. We are also engaged with many of our immediate neighbors and countries as well as regional organizations through bilateral and multi-lateral agreements to consolidate regional cooperation. In this context, we welcome the adoption of the Energy Action Plan in this meeting and propose the development of specific benchmarks for reviewing the progress made towards proposed activities. We have gained membership of SAARC, expanded our role within ECO and CAREC, and acquired observer status at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Above all, with help and support from our regional and international partners, we have initiated five Regional Economic Cooperation Conferences on Afghanistan and spearheaded Heart of Asia process in order to enhance trust and confidence among our regional and international partners. We attach significant importance to the role of all these regional organizations and consider them as effective platforms for strengthening economic cooperation at the continental level. We will continue to play an active and expanding role in the interest of achieving sustainable development in a conducive global environment. This is our responsibility and obligation for our future generations. Ladies and Gentlemen, Our country is going through a critically important period, as we are assuming full responsibility for security of the entire country and preparing for historic elections in April 2014. We believe that the success of these events will not only consolidate our gains of the past decade but will also place Afghanistan on an enduring path towards peace and prosperity. As you continue to support us through this journey, Afghanistan will increasingly play an important role in peace, stability and prosperity of Asia. Mr. Chairman, lastly we welcome Bahrain’s efforts in pushing ACD’s intra-Asian tourism agenda and in this regard, we fully support Manama’s designation as the first Asian tourism city. I personally look forward to visiting Manama again and exploring further this beautiful and culturally rich city. Thank you very much.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 21:14:52 +0000
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