ECO day marked by member states in Islamabad

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Seven Asian and three Eurasian nations marked the 26th Economic Cooperation Organization’s (ECO) day on Tuesday.

A special event in connection with the ECO day was held at Pakistan’s Foreign Office in Islamabad, where ambassadors of the member states were also present.

Established as Regional Cooperation for Development in 1964 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, the organization was renamed as ECO in 1985. The objective of the organization is the sustainable economic development of its member states and the region as a whole.

It became an organization of 10 member countries on Nov. 28, 1992, referred as ECO Day, when other seven members, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan joined the organization.

Speaking at the event, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua stressed on enhancing trade relations and people-to-people contacts among the member states.

She thanked the participants to gather and mark the ‘historic day’.

Bakhitbek Shabarbayev, dean of the ECO and Kazakh ambassador to Pakistan, termed the establishment of ECO as a great achievement of member countries and said the organization is playing key role in the development of the region.

"ECO member states encompassing an area of 7 million square kilometers, inhabited by now over 440 million people and equipped with natural resources," Shabarbayev said.

An exhibition was also organized at the Foreign Office, where the stalls were set up by member states to showcase the cultural inheritance of their respective countries.

Planning commission ministers of the member states are scheduled to meet in Islamabad to discuss a roadmap for the development of the region.

"The coming month meeting is very significant for all member states as we will discuss how to make stronger the relationship and economies of the ECO countries," Sartaj Aziz Aziz, deputy chairman of Planning Commission of Pakistan said.