Iranian FM urges further cultural cooperation among Asian nations

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi underlined the importance of culture in advancement of different countries, and called on the Asian nations to boost their cultural exchanges.Salehi made the remarks at the 11th Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) ministerial meeting in Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe, on Friday."The ACD must pursue shared interests through close cooperation and cultural exchanges among its member countries and in this respect the ACD is in need of an appropriate strategy for proper and comprehensive development of the entire Asian countries, and even a roadmap for the purpose," Salehi said.He pointed to the prominent privileges and unique features of the ancient continent of Asia, and said, "This continent has entered the modern era successfully, and is acting great in economic and tourism fields."The 11th ACD ministerial meeting was preceded by the senior officials' meeting which was held a day earlier.The Iranian foreign minister attended the event at the official invitation of his Tajik counterpart Hamrokhon Zarifi.Established in 2002, the ACD seeks to promote Asian cooperation at a continental level and to help integrate separate regional cooperation organizations.The ACD also aims to consolidate Asian strengths and fortify the continent's competitiveness by maximizing its diversity and rich resources.The body was originally founded by 18 members. Since October 2012, the organization consists of 32 states. Iran joined the ACD on June 21, 2004.The 10th ACD ministerial meeting was held in Kuwait on October 10-11, 2011.The previous ACD ministerial meetings were held in Tehran in 2010, Sri Lanka in 2009, Kazakhstan in 2008, South Korea in 2007, Qatar in 2006, Pakistan in 2005, China in 2004 and Thailand in 2002 and 2003