Publish Date: 27 August 2018 - 10:49

TEHRAN, Aug. 27 (MNA) – The International Conference of Hamedan as the “ACD Tourism Capital, 2018” has been inaugurated in the west-central Iranian city in the presence of VP Jahangiri and a number of ministers of Asian countries.

The three-day event is attended by ministers and ambassadors of a number of Asian countries, the Secretary General of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), head of Iran Cultural Heritage, Handcraft and Tourism Organization, and a number of Iranian officials, including First Vice-President Es’hagh Jahangiri.

After today’s conference, expert panels will be held, followed by tours to a number of tourist destinations in Hamedan, including Ganjnameh, Alisadr Cave, Bu-Ali Sina Walkway, the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai, Hamedan Bazzar, and the city of earthernware, Lajin.

The next day is devoted to bilateral and multilateral meetings between the head of Iran Cultural Heritage, Handcraft and Tourism Organization and foreign officials.

Hamedan was selected as capital of Asian tourism in 2018 in the second meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue, which was held in Siem Reap town of Cambodia.

Iran has assumed the chairmanship of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue for the year 2017-2018. It will host the third ACD Summit this November with participation of 500 World Tourism Organization Member States from over 150 countries. The previous two editions were held in Kuwait and Thailand, respectively.

The ACD is a continent-wide forum inaugurated in June 2002 in Cha-Am, Thailand, and currently comprises 34 countries, including Iran, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Afghanistna, Russia, etc. The Islamic Republic of Iran joined the bloc in 2004.

ACD aims to promote interdependence among Asian countries, expand the trade and financial market within Asia, serve as the missing link in Asian cooperation by building upon Asia's potentials, and ultimately transform the Asian continent into an Asian Community.

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