Türkiye’s AK Party to host General Assembly of International Conference of Asian Political Parties

By Kemal Karadag

ANKARA (AA) - The 11th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), hosted by Türkiye’s Justice and Development (AK) Party, will be held in Istanbul on Nov. 17-20.

The ICAPP General Assembly meeting will bring together a total of 70 political parties from 33 Asian countries, including China, Russia, South Korea, India, Mongolia and Indonesia.

The party representatives and around 200 guests from international organizations will deliver speeches on "The Role of Political Parties in Strengthening Dialogue for Global Peace, Prosperity and Cooperation."

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president and AK Party leader, will address the participants at the opening session of the General Assembly on Friday. The session is expected to be attended by ambassadors, representatives of international organizations, parties and think tanks, government members and deputies.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Türkiye’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun will also address the participants.

AK Party Deputy Chair in charge of foreign affairs Efkan Ala, who is the chairman of the 11th General Assembly Organizing Committee, will serve as the vice chairman of the ICAPP for a two-year term.

Moreover, representatives of four major political groups in Europe and umbrella organizations of African and Latin American political parties will also attend the ICAPP General Assembly.

ICAPP was launched in Manila in September 2,000 to promote exchanges and cooperation between political parties with various ideologies from different Asian countries.

It aims to enhance mutual understanding and trust among Asian countries and to promote Asia’s regional cooperation through dialogues and common programs among political parties.

Moreover, with its women and youth branches, the International Conference brings together active and experienced politicians in all fields of politics within the framework of regional and global issues.

The 11th General Assembly which was planned to be held in Türkiye two years ago was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Conference’s 10th General Assembly meeting, which is held every two years, was hosted by Russia’s United Russia in Moscow.