The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which unites ten countries of South, Central and West Asia, intends to turn its region into a bloc of interconnected and sustainable economies. The Secretary General of the organization, Khusrav Noziri, said in Tashkent (Uzbekistan).
According to him, one of the priority areas of activity is the liberalization of trade and the protection of investments. In addition, the countries are going to focus on the development of transport, logistics and trade corridors.
«ECO is an intergovernmental economic forum of ten countries of South, Central and West Asia. We are determined to turn the region into a bloc of interconnected, sustainable economies, through proper governance, as well as accelerating trade activities,» Khusrav Noziri said at a briefing following the 26th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization.
He also said that the ECO member countries have been actively involved in ensuring energy security. Regional energy corridors are created for these, clean energy sources are introduced. The countries are also actively developing industrial cooperation, tourism, and environmental protection.
The event is attended by the heads of the Foreign Ministries of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, as well as heads of specialized agencies, regional institutions and affiliated bodies of the ECO.
ECO is a regional interstate economic organization founded in 1985. It consists of Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Since 1995, the ECO has had observer status in the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
