The Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Al Thani is set to inaugurate the third summit of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) in Doha on Thursday, with the participation of Representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. ACD, established in 2002 by Thailand, aims to enhance cooperation between regional Asian organizations, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It also aims to expand Asian commerce and finance market, increase Asia's competitiveness in international markets, creating an Asian community that can perform equally with the rest of the world. The first ministerial meeting of the ACD was held in Thailand in 2002, while the first summit was held in Kuwait in October 2012. During the events, the participants announced pledges worth USD two billions, with USD 300 million provided by Kuwa it. Kuwait continues to commitment to boost Asian dialogue on all levels, to tacke issues and challenges facing the continent's countries. The second summit was held in Thailand in 2016, where the countries agreed on establishing a permanent general secretariat for ACD, headquartered in Kuwait. The theme for this year's edition of the conference is "Sports Diplomacy", as sports is a soft power that plays a big role in developing countries and bringing nations and cultures closer. It also involves supporting youth, women and development, as main pillars in the sports field. Despite the variations in natural and human resources, significant economic power and energy sources, Asian countries are still facing many challenges that require joint work and cooperation. These include different development rates between Asian countries, as well as security issues. ACD is aiming to enhance its role on a regional and international level to tackle these issues. Source: Kuwait News Agency