ISLAMABAD (The Thursday Times) — The 30th meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization’s Council of Ministers opened in Islamabad on Sunday, with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in the chair for the two-day session.
Foreign ministers and heads of delegations from the member states are attending, along with representatives of the ECO secretariat and its subsidiary bodies. State media said the meeting was meant to give the bloc fresh purpose as a platform for regional cooperation, dialogue, and economic collaboration. The session runs on Sunday and Monday.
Delegates arrive
Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov, who is leading his country’s delegation, and Türkiye’s Deputy Foreign Minister Musa Kulaklikaya were among those who arrived on Sunday, the Foreign Office said. Senior officials from Kazakhstan and representatives of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation also arrived. Officers of the Foreign Ministry received them at Islamabad International Airport.
ECO Secretary General Dr Asad M. Khan met Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister, Rashid Meredov, on the sidelines of the session. The information secretary also opened a media facilitation centre in Islamabad for coverage of the meeting.
What Pakistan wants
Pakistan holds the ECO chair and has said its priorities are regional connectivity and deeper integration. The Foreign Office has said Pakistan wants to position itself as a regional connectivity hub, a facilitator of logistics and supply chains, and an agenda-setter for regional trade, so that cooperation turns into “tangible improvements” in the lives of people in member states.
Ministers are due to consider draft outcome documents prepared by senior officials. No outcome has been announced yet. Read what Pakistan has planned for the meeting.
Dar and Egypt
Separately, Dar spoke by telephone on Sunday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, the Foreign Office said. Abdelatty renewed an invitation for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to visit Cairo, and Dar responded positively. The two also discussed regional and international developments and the forthcoming R4 and R4+E4 meetings in Europe.
