Tehran - BORNA - The summit, set to be hosted by Russia from November 5-7, 2025, was mandated during the 2025 ACD Heads of State Summit in Doha, Qatar. To lay the groundwork for this historic event, Russia's Ministry of Sport initiated the online meeting for member states to discuss the summit's agenda and final statement.
During the webinar, Mohammad Hassan Taghizadeh, the Director General of International Affairs for Iran's Ministry of Sport and Youth, represented Iran. He highlighted the ACD's potential to expand sports cooperation among member countries and presented Iran's proposed clauses for the summit's final document.
Taghizadeh opened his remarks by thanking Russia for its initiative, stating that Iran's Ministry of Sport and Youth views the ACD as an excellent platform for advancing sports diplomacy and relations across the region.
"Asia is full of talent, particularly in sports, and the ACD has the opportunity to play a key role in increasing the unity, solidarity, and global influence of Asian countries," Taghizadeh noted.
Continuing, the Director-General of International Affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Sports and Youth, in a discussion on countering political approaches in sports, stated: "We firmly believe in the non-political nature of sports and maintain that sports can serve as a unifying force for countries in the region. In this regard, the Islamic Republic of Iran opposes double standards in sports A country is barred from international competitions for disregarding another nation’s territorial sovereignty, but yet no action is taken against the usurping Zionist regime, which has blatantly violated the territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran and martyred over a hundred Iranian athletes."
In closing, Taghizadeh expressed hope that the collective efforts and cooperation of ACD member countries would effectively elevate Asia's position in global sports and increase the continent's representation in influential international sports bodies and institutions.
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