President: Strengthening ECO, Iran’s top priority

EghtesadOnline: President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani, delivering a message on the eve of the 13th ECO Summit Meeting in Islamabad, reiterated that 'for Iran, strengthening Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) is a top priority.'

News ID: ۷۴۰۰۹۱

01 March 2017

In his message, President Rouhani said that Iran also welcomes boosting of cooperation among the ECO member states.

According to IRNA, the president expressing his views said member countries of the ECO apart from geographical borders and various political and economic systems enjoy joint culture, which is an achievement and heritage of their history of thousands of years; it has the profound roots in progress of today’s humanity in various fields.

“The same joint culture has the potential, with the deep bonds among the nations, to provide new opportunity for over all progress of ECO region and renewal of its special role in the world,” added the president's massage.

He went on to say for the Islamic Republic of Iran as a founding member of ECO, with the approach based on mutual respect for realization of the rights of the people of the region, strengthening ECO organization is its priority.

“We welcome boosting of cooperation under the framework of this organization, and hope that by virtue of reforms which are undertaking to witness more vast and deep regional cooperation with the objective to provide welfare and prosperity of member countries,” said President Rouhani in the message.

He was of the view that the ECO intends to take step towards the direction of converting in the one of the most dynamic regional organizations and experience of interaction of more than two decades among its members, will be a beacon of this evolution.

“Cooperation in the framework of this regional organization in view of the crisis aroused during recent years can be a secure way towards convergence and avoidance of fluctuations due to international crisis,” the message said.

Iranian President added that the 13th ECO summit meeting, in the hosting and warm and cordial hospitality of friendly and brotherly government and people of Pakistan will provide appropriate opportunity for consultation and exchange of views by the heads of the member countries, on the basis of that fundamental steps could be taken to promote programs and activities of ECO as the oldest Economic Organizations of the region.

Pakistan hosts the 13th ECO summit on March 1. Islamabad is hosting the ECO summit for the second time since 1995. The last ECO Summit was held in October 2012 in Baku.

ECO is a ten-member regional organization, which includes Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.