TEHRAN - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has proposed that an Asian Union should be established so that Asian countries can better utilize their potential to serve the interests of the “inhabitants of the ancient continent.”

Ahmadinejad made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 9th ministerial meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) in Tehran on Monday.
He also expressed hope that the two-day conference would lead to closer cooperation among Asian states.
--Asians shoulder extra responsibility to promote new world order
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ahmadinejad said, “A new order must be promoted in the world and we Asians shoulder extra responsibility in the promotion of a new order.”
Today, everyone has become aware that the order based on “materialistic thought” is nearing its end and the Western countries are not able to manage the world’s political and economic relations according to the interests of all nations, he noted.
Asian countries have the potential to promote a new world order based on justice, so they “shoulder extra responsibility to reform the current situation,” Ahmadinejad added.
He also noted that cooperation among Asian countries benefits the entire world as well as Asian states.
The global arrogance (imperialist powers) “consider themselves to be above other nations” and assume that they can interfere in the world’s affairs and impose their inhumane policies on others since they have power and weapons, Ahmadinejad observed.
-- Mottaki proposes establishment of Asian Union
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also delivered a speech at the conference in which he expressed hope that an Asian Union would be established.
“Iran… announces its readiness to strengthen, restructure, and increase cooperation among the members” of the ACD and will spare no effort to achieve this goal, Mottaki stated.
Political analysts believe that the new millennium belongs to Asia, and Asian countries have important political and cultural roles to play in the management of the world’s affairs, he added.
--Ahmadinejad meets with 6 foreign ministers
On the sidelines of the conference, Ahmadinejad held talks with the foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Oman, Singapore, Brunei, Tajikistan, and Sri Lanka and called for the promotion of Iran’s ties with those countries.
Senior officials from 31 Asian countries, including several foreign ministers, are attending the conference.
The ACD is a continent-wide forum which aims to constitute the missing link in Asia by incorporating every Asian country and building an Asian community without duplicating other organizations or creating a bloc against others. A key principle is to consolidate Asian strengths and fortify Asia’s competitiveness by maximizing the diversity and rich resources evident in Asia.
The ACD members are Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Bhutan, Russia, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Oman, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and Kyrgyzstan.