The 12th summit of ECO began in Baku on Tuesday.
Delivering the opening remarks of the 12th summit, the head of the 11th summit Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that ECO member states should embrace the organization more.
"I am highly pleased to be in the capital of our friend and brother Azerbaijan. Turkey will present the term presidency of the ECO to Azerbaijan on Tuesday after leading the ECO for two years," Erdogan noted.
"We assumed the term presidency of the ECO at a time of global economic and financial crisis. During the Turkish term presidency, we tried to develop ECO's vision," Erdogan stated.
"We made great efforts to make progress in the fields of cooperation and to add momentum to the organization's restructuring," Erdogan said.
"At the Istanbul summit, we established the Group of Wisemen so that the ECO can reach its goals as stated in the 2015 ECO Vision Document. This group prepared a report that would show us the road to walk on. I believe that the advices of the Group of Wisemen will make our organization influential in the whole globe," Erdogan noted.
"I want to underline that ECO member states must embrace the organization more. I believe that member states could host some of the institutions of the ECO," Erdogan expressed.
-"Turkey ready to share its knowledge and experience with friendly and brotherly Azerbaijan"-
"I am confident that, during the Azerbaijani term presidency, the ECO vision would be placed on a platform of more comprehensive cooperation. Azerbaijan will have an active term presidency and will carry the organization forward," Erdogan underlined.
"The Republic of Turkey is ready to share its knowledge and experience with friendly and brotherly Azerbaijan. I do hope that the Baku Summit would be beneficial for all member states and the region," Erdogan indicated.
Following his speech, Erdogan presented the ECO term presidency to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
The Baku Summit is also being attended by the presidents of Tajikistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Deputy Chairman of ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party Numan Kurtulmus, an AK Party deputy from Ankara Yalcin Akdogan and Prime Minister Erdogan's daughter Sumeyye Erdogan also attended the summit.
