ASIA COOPERATION DIALOGUE AFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO ENHANCE ECONOMIC COOPERATION

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- The just-concluded 8th Asia Cooperation
Dialogue (ACD) ministerial meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, affirmed its
commitment to enhance economic cooperation in Asia, including trade arrangements
which could contribute to the Asian economic integration.

The ministers also agreed to enhance cooperation in transportation and
tourism which would enhance people-to-people contacts in Asia, Wisma Putra
(Foreign Ministry) said in a statement here Friday.

At the meeting themed "Spirit of Asia: Global economic Recovery and
Development Prospects, the ministers also deliberated on issues related to
climate change, global responses to natural disasters and international
terrorism which could pose significant challenges at the national, regional and
international levels.

They acknowledged the progress that had been achieved in various cooperation
areas under the ACD, including e-Education, small and medium enterprise
development, poverty alleviation, environmental education and information
technology development.

The 31 ministers from the ACD member countries attending the two-day meeting
which ended Thursday also adopted the Colombo Declaration.

The Malaysian delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister senator
A.Kohilan Pillay who also called on Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha
Bogollagama and his deputy, Hussein Bhaila.

The statement said that Sri Lanka commended Malaysia's role in the economic
growth of the country and its status as the largest foreign investor in Sri
Lanka.
-- BERNAMA