Tehran sees "Asian Union" as key to regional prosperity

Tehran foresees the potential for forming an "Asian Union" in the future, which could yield significant benefits for the region.

This prospect was outlined by Acting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani in an article marking the 19th ministerial meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

Minister Kani emphasized Asia's rich cultural heritage, enduring values, and robust economic and technological foundations as key factors that could foster a stronger sense of community among Asian nations. "If a stronger sense of belonging to the Asian community is created among Asian peoples, it would undoubtedly lead to a number of significant benefits. It would also encourage Asian states to form Asian coalitions and eventually an 'Asian Union' at the appropriate time, and the Asia Cooperation Dialogue can play a crucial role in this regard," Kani stated.

He highlighted the importance of people-to-people interactions and the private sector's role in achieving this goal. Kani pointed to intra-Asian tourism, cultural exchanges, and active private sector participation in economic and trade interactions as effective drivers of this process.

As the current chair of the ACD, Iran has taken notable steps to advance these objectives. Yazd's designation as the tourism capital of the ACD for 2024 lays a solid foundation for hosting various Asian cultural and tourism events. Additionally, Yazd is set to host a meeting of the ACD Tourism Ministers to decide on future cooperation initiatives. In May, Isfahan hosted the member countries' Chambers of Commerce and Industry, resulting in agreements on future joint measures, known as the "Isfahan Pact."

Kani reaffirmed Iran's commitment to countering unilateralism and hegemony, emphasizing support for regional and extra-regional multilateral mechanisms as top diplomatic priorities. "We have taken advantage of our potential as chair of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue to promote and stabilize dialogue and cooperation structures, and with the support of member states and the secretariat, we have taken some effective and positive steps in this regard," he added.