On 17 July 2013, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand will host the Working Group Meeting on Enhanced ACD Regional Connectivity. Nearly 100 experts and representatives in the field of regional connectivity are expected to attend the Meeting, including representatives from ACD Member States and relevant international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). 

  
The Working Group Meeting on Enhanced ACD Regional Connectivity will commence with Opening Remarks by H.E. Dr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.  After the Opening Session, invited speakers from ADB, ESCAP, ESCWA and Turkey will share experiences in infrastructure connectivity development.  The afternoon session will begin with country presentations from interested ACD Member States followed by discussions on transport networks integration and possible options for infrastructure financing, including the role of public-private partnership.  The Working Group Meeting will then conclude with a discussion on ways forward for ACD connectivity cooperation.

The main objectives of this Working Group Meeting are to forge enhanced infrastructure connectivity within Asia and between Asia and Europe, in particular through railway networks, as they are key to trade, investment and tourism promotion as well as cost reduction for goods and products transported along the region’s economic corridors.  In one way, this Working Group Meeting is a step towards reviving the old silk route to restore this ancient economic lifeline for the benefit of development in the Asian region.

   
Initiatives and recommendations gathered at the Working Group Meeting will also form an important basis for the development of an ACD Blueprint on Enhanced Infrastructure Connectivity, which is one of the major expected outcomes of the 2nd ACD Summit to be held by Thailand in March 2015.

The ACD, or Asia Cooperation Dialogue, was inaugurated in 2002 on the initiative of Thailand to be Asia’s first continent-wide policy forum.  Its key principle is to consolidate Asia’s strengths, and fortify its competitiveness by maximizing the diversity and rich resources available in Asia.  Currently, the ACD has 32 Member States from every sub-region of the continent, with Morocco as a Partner for Development (a status given to non-Asian countries).