ShareDOHA: The Representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, arrived along with an accompanying delegation at Doha International Airport on Wednesday. His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad will head Kuwait’s delegation at the third summit of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), scheduled in the Qatari capital, Doha.
His Highness the Amir’s Representative, along with his entourage, was welcomed at the airport by the Qatari Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani, Minister of State Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Saud Al-Thani, Kuwait Ambassador to Qatar Khaled Badr Al-Mutairi, and the Qatari Ambassador to the State of Kuwait Ali Abdullah Al-Mahmoud.
Upon his departure from Kuwait airport, he was seen off by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Chief of the National Guards Sheikh Faisal Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, Minister of the Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Shareeda Al-Maousherji, and other senior state officials. His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya and senior officials from the Crown Prince Diwan.
The Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani, is set to inaugurate the third summit of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) in Doha on Thursday, with the participation of Representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. ACD, established in 2002 by Thailand, aims to enhance cooperation between regional Asian organizations, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
It also aims to expand Asian commerce and finance markets, increase Asia’s competitiveness in international markets, and create an Asian community that can perform equally with the rest of the world. The first ministerial meeting of the ACD was held in Thailand in 2002, while the first summit was held in Kuwait in October 2012. During the events, the participants announced pledges worth two billion dollars, with $300 million provided by Kuwait.
Kuwait continues to commit to boosting Asian dialogue on all levels to tackle issues and challenges facing the continent’s countries. The second summit was held in Thailand in 2016, where the countries agreed on establishing a permanent general secretariat for ACD, headquartered in Kuwait. The theme for this year’s edition of the conference is “Sports Diplomacy,” as sports is a soft power that plays a big role in developing countries and bringing nations and cultures closer.
It also involves supporting youth, women, and development as main pillars in the sports field. Despite the variations in natural and human resources, significant economic power, and energy sources, Asian countries are still facing many challenges that require joint work and cooperation. These include different development rates between Asian countries as well as security issues. ACD is aiming to enhance its role on a regional and international level to tackle these issues. — KUNA
