Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will attend the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) leaders’ meeting in Doha, Qatar early next month, according to a diplomatic source.
The source said that Ms. Paetongtarn will make her first foreign trip to Doha to attend the ACD leaders' meeting, which will be held on October 2-3. After this trip, she will fly to Vientiane to participate in the ASEAN-related summits from October 8-11.
Earlier, she had planned to participate in the UN Summit for the Future on September 22-23 in New York City, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The ACD was initiated during the Thaksin administration in 2002 to promote dialogue and multifaceted cooperation among Asian countries.
At present, the ACD consists of 35 member countries across Asia, representing diverse regions such as East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia.
At a recent ACD foreign ministerial meeting in Tehran, the ACD ministers endorsed Thailand’s proposal to chair the ACD in 2025. In addition, they also adopted three key documents: the Tehran Declaration, the rules and procedures of the ACD, and the guiding principles for the functioning of the ACD Secretariat in Kuwait City.
Paetongtarn's government intends to advance the ACD during Thailand’s 2025 chairmanship. Bangkok has proposed initiatives such as organizing meetings in both formal and retreat formats, a thematic conference on global architecture, and the establishment of an ACD fund.
Thailand also aims to foster collaboration between the ACD and other international organizations, promoting dialogue and cooperation among Asian nations in areas of mutual interest, particularly in economic, social, and sustainable development.
