KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa on Wednesday left for Thailand to take part in 14th ministerial meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), an Asia-wide cooperation framework.

DPM Thapa is attending the meeting at the invitation of ACD President and Foreign Minister of Kingdom of Thailand, Don Pramudwinai.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DPM Thapa would address the meeting on Thursday as the ACD guest chairman.

It is almost guaranteed that the meeting would endorse Nepal's membership in the two-day meeting taking place from today. Nepal will be the 33rd member of the ACD if the meeting endorses its membership.

ACD is an Asia-wide cooperation framework established in Thailand in June 2002 with the main objective of promoting interdependence among Asian countries in all areas of cooperation, expanding trade and financial market within Asia and enhancing Asia's economic competitiveness in the gobal market and ultimately transforming the Asian continents into Asian Community. The total 33 countries of the region are members of the ACD.

Joint-Secretary at the Ministry Mani Bhattarai, Nepali Ambassador to Thailand Khagnath Adhikari, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy Janga Bahadur Gurung and Under-Secretaries at the Ministry—Bharat Kumar Regmi and Drupada Sapkota—would also attend the meeting, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Secretary at the Foreign Ministry Shanker Das Bairagi, Chief of Protocol Ramesh Khanal, Joint-Secretaries—Tara Prasad Pokharel and Durga Bahadur Chhetri— saw off DPM Thapa at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Likewise, DPM Thapa is scheduled to go to New Delhi from there on Thursday to attend the World Culture Festival to be organised by the Art of Living International Centre there as a guest.

DPM Thapa will return home on Saturday.