MFA Press Statement: Visit by Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed to Bangkok, Thailand, for the Third Asia-Middle East Dialogue Ministerial Meeting, 14-16 December 2010

Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed will lead a Singapore delegation to Bangkok for the third Asia-Middle East Dialogue Ministerial Meeting (AMED III) from 14 to 16 December 2010. He will be accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

AMED, first proposed by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in 2004, is a process to foster dialogue between Asia and the Middle East, and promote better understanding between the two regions. It is also a platform to encourage inter-regional co-operation in political, economic and cultural development. Fifty countries from Asia and the Middle East participate in this process. Singapore hosted the inaugural AMED in 2005 while AMED II was held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in 2008.

The theme for AMED III will be "Strengthening Co-operation towards Common Prosperity". There will be three plenary sessions covering Political and Security issues, Economic issues, and Social, Economic, Scientific, Cultural, Environmental and Media (SESCEM) issues. In addition there will be a series of panel discussions covering topics ranging from economic cooperation to educational issues and terrorism. Senior Minister of State Zainul will deliver a keynote address at the SESCEM plenary session. He will also have bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the other AMED member countries.