Tajik Deputy Foreign Minister, Nizomiddin Zohidov, heading a Tajik delegation, participated in the 12th ministerial meeting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) that took place in Manama, Bahrain on November 23-25.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Zohidov held a number of bilateral meetings with representatives of Vietnam, Mongolia, Malaysia, and Bahrain to discuss cooperation issues, the Tajik MFA information department said.

Bahrain assumed the ACD presidency in September during a meeting of the foreign ministers of member states on the sidelines of the 68th UNGA Session, and continues its presidency until 2014.

The Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) is a body created in 2002 to promote Asian cooperation at a continental level and to help integrate separate regional cooperation organizations such as ASEAN, SAARC and the Gulf Cooperation Council.  The ACD was founded by 18 members and currently comprises the 32 states (including all current members of ASEAN and the GCC).

The main objectives of the ACD are to: promote interdependence among Asian countries in all areas of cooperation by identifying Asia's common strengths and opportunities which will help reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for Asian people whilst developing a knowledge-based society within Asia and enhancing community and people empowerment; expand the trade and financial market within Asia and increase the bargaining power of Asian countries in lieu of competition and, in turn, enhance Asia's economic competitiveness in the global market; serve as the missing link in Asian cooperation by building upon Asia's potentials and strengths through supplementing and complementing existing cooperative frameworks so as to become a viable partner for other regions; ultimately transform the Asian continent into an Asian Community, capable of interacting with the rest of the world on a more equal footing and contributing more positively towards mutual peace and prosperity.