OMM Newsroom
A two-day ministerial meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) opened in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Sunday with an initial gathering of senior officials from member states, according to Anadolu Agency.
Foreign ministers and delegation leaders from the organization’s 10 member states, as well as representatives of the ECO Secretariat and its subsidiary bodies, are taking part in the 30th ECO Council of Ministers Meeting. Pakistani diplomat Ishaq Dar is chairing the meeting.
The main session is scheduled for Monday.
As ECO chair for 2026-2027, Pakistan aims to advance the organization’s objectives under the theme “Reviving Regionalism for a Resilient ECO.”
Pakistan’s chairmanship will focus on strengthening regional connectivity and integration, promoting regional partnerships and pursuing collective efforts for greater prosperity and sustainable development, according to a Pakistani Foreign Ministry statement.
The statement said the chairmanship would also offer an opportunity to reinvigorate ECO’s role as a platform for regional cooperation, dialogue and economic collaboration.
“These efforts will contribute towards unlocking the region’s considerable economic potential and ensuring that the benefits of regional cooperation are translated into tangible improvements in the lives of the people of ECO Member States,” the statement said.
Founded in 1985 by Türkiye, Iran and Pakistan, ECO expanded in 1992 to include Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.
The combined nominal GDP of the organization’s 10 member states is approximately $3 trillion.
Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Musa Kulaklikaya is leading Türkiye’s delegation. Tahsin Ertugruloglu, foreign minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), arrived in Islamabad on Saturday to attend the meeting.
