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Anti-Iran sanctions a challenge for interrelations: ECO chief
Majeed Khan made the comment on Monday in a press conference held at the ECO secretariat in the Iranian capital of Tehran, IRNA reported.
We want to provide guidelines to chambers of commerce to improve trade relations, he said, adding that his organization aims to advance regional transportation economy and sustainable development in 2025.
He told reporters that ECO now has 10 members after five central Asian countries and the Republic of Azerbaijan and Afghanistan joined the organization.
Azerbaijan has announced its intention to host the ECO Summit in 2025, he added.
Responding to an IRNA correspondent’s question regarding how ECO cooperates with BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as well as international institutions, Majeed Khan said there is active cooperation as some countries are official members or observer members at ECO, BRICS or SCO.
As to ECO intra-cooperation, Majeed Khan explained that the organization has several affiliations active in cultural, educational and banking fields, with all of them connected to each other and enjoying mutual cooperation.
He also said ECO accounts for $82 billion of the total world trade that stands at $1.60 trillion. He added that ECO’s share is not at a proper level, and “we are looking to use mechanisms to facilitate trade.”
The 28th Meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Council of Ministers (COM) convened on December 3 in Mashhad, Iran, gathering foreign ministers and deputy foreign ministers from the ECO countries.
Also, ECO specialized agencies and subsidiary bodies, including the ECO Trade and Development Bank, ECO Science Foundation, ECO Cultural Institute and ECO Educational Institute, as well as observers and partner international organizations, including the Turkish Cypriot State, Organization of Turkic States, the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, Asia Cooperation Dialogue, and CICA have attended the event.
The council adopted the Mashhad Communiqué, a pivotal outcome document that sets strategic directions for ECO’s activities, reinforcing cooperation among member states. The meeting also reviewed progress on key initiatives and projects, emphasizing the importance of collective action to address shared challenges and opportunities.