First Asia cooperation summit starts tomorrow
Asian leaders are set to hold the first summit of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) beginning in Kuwait tomorrow to discuss way of enhancing cooperation to protect Asian countries from global economic crisis.
The three-day summit of the 32-member ACD in the capital of Kuwait, will also focus on ways to activate the forum, which was set up in 2002 to strengthen regional cooperation and dialogue among Asian countries.
President Zillur Rahman will leave for Kuwait 9:30am today to attend the summit. Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will receive Zillur Rahman at Kuwait International Airport at 12:30pm (local time). Bangladesh Ambassador in Kuwait Syed Shahed Reza will also be present.
He will lead a 43-member delegation to advance Bangladesh's agenda on poverty alleviation, increased economic cooperation, cooperation in disaster management, energy and mineral resources and environment at the meeting, ministry sources said.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, among others, will take part in the summit.
Officials said the summit will pave the way for a new era of cooperation among the Asian countries especially in finance, agriculture, food security, energy, health, industrialisation and natural disasters.
Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will open the summit at Liberation Conference Building at 11:00am tomorrow. The inaugural session will also be addressed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is the General Coordinator of the ACD.
Besides addressing the summit, he will attend dinner to be hosted by Amir of Kuwait tomorrow. On Wednesday, he will attend the closing ceremony and then visit Bangladesh Military Contingent (BMC) at Sabhan Cantonment in Kuwait at 6:00pm.
Later, the president will attend a dinner to be hosted by Bangladesh Ambassador in Kuwait Syed Shahed Reza at Bangladesh House.
Zillur Rahman is expected to arrive in Dhaka at 6:30pm on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni already has reached Kuwait to attend the ministerial meeting of ACD held yesterday.
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