Kuwait to host first Asian powers summit

Kuwait said Sunday it will host the first summit of the 10-year-old Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) this week, bringing together economic powers China, Japan and leading energy producers. "The summit will discuss ways to activate the ACD, a mechanism to make it permanent and activate implementation of decisions," Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled Al-Sabah told a news conference. Founded in Thailand in 2002, the ACD has a membership of 32 nations including China, Japan, India and South Korea in addition to major oil producers in the Gulf, Iran and Russia. "It is necessary to move forward to an advanced stage. This will be achieved if the summit approves a joint Thai-Kuwait proposal to make the ACD permanent with a secretariat," said Sheikh Sabah. Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the October 16-17 summit will discuss a variety of issues including energy supply, food security, financing of projects, IT and human resources development among others. The summit would review promotion of investments especially the role of sovereign wealth funds to invest in other Asian nations which have the potential, he said. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, current chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, will be among leaders to take part in the summit.