Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Thursday called for convergence as well as expansion of cooperation among Asian countries, IRNA reported. Mottaki made the remark in the 7th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) ministerial meeting in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan. Referring to the cultural status of the Asian continent, he said the countries of this region are capable enough to play an effective role in regional and international equations. Expansion of cooperation and solidarity among these countries would lead to further development of the Asian continent in various fields, he said. Supply of adequate, healthy and sanitary foodstuffs is of prime importance in developed as well as developing states, he pointed out. At the meeting the Islamic Republic of Iran was elected as the chairman of the 9th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) ministerial meeting to be held in Tehran in 2010. It was agreed that Iran should act as coordinator for cultural and academic cooperation with private sectors of the Asian countries. During his two-day stay, Mottaki is scheduled to hold talks with his Kazakh counterpart, Marat Tazhin and other foreign ministers attending the meeting. Foreign ministers and political delegations from 27 Asian countries are taking part in the two-day meeting. Participants will discuss ways to expand economic cooperation in energy, food security, transportation, banking, scientific and technical fields.
