The 6th Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) opened here on Tuesday with attendance of government representatives from about 30 countries in Asia.

At the opening statement, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck- soo said the increased competition among countries in a globalized market place and the strengthening of regional integration are providing good reason for regional cooperation.

The ACD, the only pan-Asian regional cooperation mechanism, allow Asian countries to forge collective economic strategies to maintain Asia's competitiveness vis-a-vis other regional grouping, Han said.

"A stable security environment is the precondition for continued economic development," Han said at the statement, stressing that a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula is a key to securing a stable environment in Asia.

The South Korean government remains committed to achieving a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue through Six-party Talks framework, Han said, adding that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula hinges on the success of the talks and can prevent nuclear proliferation in the region.

The overarching theme this year's ACD is "the Promotion of IT Cooperation and Bridging of the Digital Divide."

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov participated in the meeting.

The meeting will close on Tuesday.

The Asia Cooperation Dialogue is up to now the sole mechanism of inter-governmental dialogue and cooperation in Asia. Under the sponsorship of Thailand, the first ministerial meeting of ACD was held in Cha-am, Thailand in June 2002. The last round of ministerial meeting of the ACD was held in Doha, Qatar, in May 2006.

Source: Xinhua