Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha has reiterated Nepal’s commitment to regional cooperation and multilateralism and stressed the need to implement the Asia Cooperation Dialogue Vision 2030 and the ACD Blueprint 2021-2030.

The foreign minister made the remarks in his address to the 19th ministerial meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue held in Tehran, Iran, on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press statement.

Shrestha said ACD has evolved as an Asia-wide regional forum for open and consultative dialogues on pressing issues impacting the region and beyond.

According to the foreign ministry, he highlighted challenges posed by Covid-19, climate change, global economic recession, rising conflicts, and geopolitical rivalry. Shrestha also underlines the importance of collective vision, unity, solidarity, and mutual collaboration for a more integrated, resilient, and prosperous Asia.

The ministerial meeting adopted the documents, namely, the Guiding Principles for the Functioning of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue Secretariat and the ACD Rules of Procedures, which provide a framework for cooperation among ACD members and an important basis for institutional strengthening of the ACD Secretariat.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Shrestha held bilateral meetings with Ali Bagheri, acting foreign minister of Iran; U Than Swe, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Myanmar; Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani, minister of foreign affairs of Bahrain; Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, minister of foreign affairs of Kuwait; Walid bin Abdul Karim Al Khraiji, vice minister for foreign affairs of Saudi Arabia; Andrei Rudenko, deputy minister of foreign affairs of Russia and discussed on various matters of mutual interests including pressing regional and global issues.

As a member of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue since 2016, Nepal has been engaging with other Asian member states with a view to promoting various areas of mutual benefits and complementarities, the foreign ministry said.