# Asia Cooperation Dialogue

The Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) is an intergovernmental organization created on 18 June 2002 to promote Asian cooperation at a continental level and to ensure coordination among different regional organizations such as the ASEAN, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the SAARC. It is the first international organization to cover the whole of Asia. Its secretariat is in Kuwait City.

## History

The idea of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue was raised at the First International Conference of Asian Political Parties (held in Manila in September 2000) by Surakiart Sathirathai, then deputy leader of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, on behalf of his party leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, then Prime Minister of Thailand. It was suggested that Asia as a continent should have its own forum to discuss Asia-wide cooperation. Afterwards, the idea of the ACD was formally put forward during the 34th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Hanoi in July 2001 and at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat in Phuket in February 2002.

### Ministerial meetings

| Meeting | Location | Date(s) |
| 1st | Cha-am | 18–19 June 2002 |
| 2nd | Chiang Mai | 21–22 June 2003 |
| 3rd | Qingdao | 21–22 June 2004 |
| 4th | Islamabad | 4–6 April 2005 |
| 5th | Doha | 23–24 May 2006 |
| 6th | Seoul | 5–6 June 2007 |
| 7th | Astana | 16–17 October 2008 |
| 8th | Colombo | 15–16 October 2009 |
| 9th | Tehran | 8–9 November 2010 |
| 10th | Kuwait City | 10–11 October 2012 |
| 11th | Dushanbe | 29 March 2013 |
| 12th | Manama | 26 November 2013 |
| 13th | Riyadh | 25 November 2014 |
| 14th | Bangkok | 9–10 March 2016 |
| 15th | Abu Dhabi | 16–17 January 2017 |
| 16th | Doha | 30 April 2019 |
| 17th | Ankara | 21 January 2021 |

### Summits

| Summit | Location | Dates |
| 1st | Kuwait City | 15–17 October 2012 |
| 2nd | Bangkok | 8–10 October 2016 |
| 3rd | Doha | 2–3 October 2024 |

## Member states

The ACD was founded by 18 members. Since May 2019, the organization consists of 35 states as listed below (including all current members of the ASEAN and the GCC). Overlapping regional organization membership in italics.
| Name | Accession date | Regional organization |
| Afghanistan | 17 October 2012 | SAARC, ECO |
| Bahrain | 18 June 2002 | GCC, AL |
| Bangladesh | 18 June 2002 | SAARC, BIMSTEC |
| Bhutan | 27 September 2004 | SAARC, BIMSTEC |
| Brunei | 18 June 2002 | ASEAN |
| Cambodia | 18 June 2002 | ASEAN, MGC |
| China | 18 June 2002 | SCO |
| India | 18 June 2002 | SAARC, BIMSTEC, MGC, SCO |
| Indonesia | 18 June 2002 | ASEAN |
| Iran | 21 June 2004 | ECO, SCO |
| Japan | 18 June 2002 | — |
| Kazakhstan | 21 June 2003 | CIS, ECO, SCO |
| South Korea | 18 June 2002 | — |
| Kuwait | 21 June 2003 | GCC, AL |
| Kyrgyzstan | 16 October 2008 | CIS, ECO, SCO |
| Laos | 18 June 2002 | ASEAN, MGC |
| Malaysia | 18 June 2002 | ASEAN |
| Mongolia | 21 June 2004 | — |
| Myanmar | 18 June 2002 | ASEAN, BIMSTEC, MGC |
| Nepal | 10 March 2016 | SAARC, BIMSTEC |
| Oman | 21 June 2003 | GCC, AL |
| Pakistan | 18 June 2002 | SAARC, SCO, ECO |
| Philippines | 18 June 2002 | ASEAN |
| Palestine | 1 May 2019 | AL |
| Qatar | 18 June 2002 | GCC, AL |
| Russia | 4 April 2005 | CIS, SCO |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 April 2005 | GCC, AL |
| Singapore | 18 June 2002 | ASEAN |
| Sri Lanka | 21 June 2003 | SAARC, BIMSTEC |
| Tajikistan | 5 June 2006 | CIS, ECO, SCO |
| Thailand | 18 June 2002 | ASEAN, BIMSTEC, MGC |
| Turkey | 26 September 2013 | CoE, ECO, NATO |
| United Arab Emirates | 21 June 2004 | GCC, AL |
| Uzbekistan | 5 June 2006 | CIS, ECO, SCO |
| Vietnam | 18 June 2002 | ASEAN, MGC |