Asian foreign ministers meet in Tajikistan
By Aynur Jafarova
Member states of Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) should pay special attention to the solution of the energy and communication problems, as well as poverty reduction and natural disasters, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said at the eleventh meeting of ACD foreign ministers in the Central Asian state, Tajik Telegraph Agency reported on Friday.
The meeting , held in Dushanbe on March 28-29, brought together delegations from 32 member states, as well as representatives of Turkey, the Asian Development Bank and former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra, as the guests of the event.
President Rahmon said that with cooperation on these issues, the countries would achieve the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
Touching upon the water and energy problems, Rahmon said Tajikistan, with its great natural wealth potential, is able to produce cheap electric power and provide the region with it.
"We are ready to open dialogue on this issue with all the countries," he stressed.
The Tajik president said that despite the existence of ancient history, culture, rich natural, social and economic resources and opportunities in Asia, many countries do not have sufficient access to the usual socio-economic benefits, including food, electricity, clean drinking water, healthcare and education.
According to Rahmon, the developed and advanced countries in Asia need to contribute to the partner states in need to overcome this situation.
The meeting participants noted that the establishment of an ACD finance fund is necessary for solving the Asian region's problems, which requires considerable funds.
Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi also said that cooperation of the ACD member countries is important for the solution of existing problems.
Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmay Rasul said that economic development of Afghanistan would be achieved by close integration of the regional countries in the energy and transport communication sectors.
According to Rasul, Afghanistan has already suffered not only from conflict but also from distrust of the world community to the country.
Cooperation in combating extremism and terrorism will strengthen the position of the region on the world stage and this will contribute to the development of tourism and attract investments to the countries of the region, Rasul added.
According to him, currently, the Afghan government makes every effort to achieve peace and stability in the country.
Addressing the event, Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrisov noted that the ACD is a tool for the development of interaction and cooperation in Asia, and all countries are interested in the development of dialogue.
He cited the need to develop the green economy and to cooperate in the transport and agricultural sectors.
Idrisov went on to say that today it is important to develop the transport and logistics as well as to provide food security of the countries which have no access to sea, such as Afghanistan. Development of transport corridors will contribute to it, Idrisov stressed.
Afghanistan was high on the agenda of the meeting. In particular, the main topic was not the withdrawal of international troops but the joining of effort for the stability, rehabilitation and social-economic development of the country, the minister said.
Speaking about the water problem in Central Asia, he said that it is one of the topical issues, which has not found an effective solution for many years.
Leaders of the regional countries are seeking an effective solution to this problem, Idrisov said.
The minister also touched on the issue of Kazakhstan's joining the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
"During my recent visit to India where the project was discussed, some media outlets circulated information that Kazakhstan is ready to join the TAPI project and will lay the pipeline from India to Kazakhstan. This is incorrect," he said.
The ACD with 32 member states is a regional forum of Asian countries. The initiative to establish such a forum was put forward by Thailand at the session of the ministers of foreign affairs of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in February 2002.
The main goal of the forum is establishing a mechanism for exchange of ideas and experience among member states, synchronization of partnership on various levels, development of strategies of response to new challenges and negative consequences of globalization.