Pakistan to host Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in 2014

, Oct 17:

is set to host the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit in 2014, diplomatic sources said. The current summit is taking place in

while the next year's summit will occur in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has reached Kuwait along with a small delegation to attend this year's meet.

The ACD had come into being in 2002 to promote Asian cooperation at the continental level and back the process of integrating regional cooperation organisations such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The association also aims at promoting interdependence among Asian states by identifying common strengths and opportunities that will reduce poverty and improve life of the people of the Asian continent.

The idea of ACD was first floated at the First International Conference of Asian Political Parties which was held in Manila in Sept 2000 by Surakiart Sathirathai, the then deputy leader of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party on behalf of Thaksin Shinawatra, the then Prime Minister of Thailand.

The idea was formally forwarded during the 34th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting in Hanoi in Jul 2001 and the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Phuket in Feb 2002.

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