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Asia Cooperation Dialogue

Asia Cooperation Dialogue
Member states in yellow
Member states in yellow
Type Regional cooperation organisations
Members
Leaders
• Secretary-General
Thailand Bundit Limschoon
Establishment 2002

The Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) is an inter-governmental organisation created on 18 June 2002 to promote Asian cooperation at a continental level and to help integrate separate regional organisations such as ASEAN, SAARC, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Eurasian Economic Union.

It is the main objective of the former Thai Prime Minister to form the Asia Co-operation Dialogue or the forerunner to the Asian Union. The ACD's main members states are India, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Indonesia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, China and Japan, the so-called Major Ten ACD Nations.

The idea of an Asia Cooperation Dialogue was raised at the First International Conference of Asian Political Parties (held in Manila between 17–20 September 2000) by Surakiart Sathirathai, then deputy leader of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, on behalf of his party leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, then Prime Minister of Thailand. It was suggested that Asia as a continent should have its own forum to discuss Asia-wide cooperation. Afterwards, the idea of the ACD was formally put forward during the 34th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Hanoi, 23–24 July 2001 and at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat in Phuket, 20–21 February 2002.

The main objectives of the ACD are to:

The ACD was founded by 18 members. Since March 2016, the organization consists of 34 states as listed below (including all current members of ASEAN and the GCC). Overlapping regional organization membership in italics.


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