8th Asia Cooperation Dialogue Ministerial Meeting to be held in Colombo in October

(September 25, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Government of Sri Lanka will host the 8th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Ministerial Meeting in Colombo on 15 October this year at the BMICH. The theme of this year’s meeting is ‘Spirit of Asia: Global Economic Recovery and Development Prospects’.

At the 6th ACD Ministerial Meeting held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka offered to host this prestigious grouping. Accordingly, at the 7th ACD Ministerial Meeting held in Astana in Kazakhstan, the member countries decided to hand over the Chair to Sri Lanka and to host the next Ministerial Meeting.

Assumption of the Chair of the ACD, is in addition to Sri Lanka holding the position of the Chair of the SAARC. Sri Lanka is also scheduled to chair the next G-15 meeting. It is perhaps the first time that Sri Lanka is holding the Chairmanship of three important international and regional organizations simultaneously.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, the President of Sri Lanka will inaugurate the Ministerial Meeting scheduled for the morning of 15th October 2009. Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Foreign Affairs will Chair the Ministerial Meeting. All 31 member countries of the ACD are due to attend the 8th Ministerial Meeting in Colombo.

-Sri Lanka Guardian