ECO foreign ministers’ meeting to begin in Islamabad today

• A two-day meeting of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) foreign ministers under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar begins today (Sunday) in Islamabad.

The meeting will focus on regional trade, energy cooperation, transport links and joint strategies to connect Central Asian countries to global markets.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will also attend the meeting, while Tahsin Ertugruloglu, foreign minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, has already arrived in Islamabad.

According to sources, foreign ministers from several member states, including Tajikistan and Iran, will participate in the meeting. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan will send deputy foreign ministers, as will Türkiye. Afghanistan’s foreign minister has not yet been invited to the meeting.

Ishaq Dar will address the inaugural session, which will also be attended by ECO Secretary-General Asad Majeed Khan and foreign ministers from member states.

Discussions will cover ways to strengthen economic and trade ties among member countries, improve regional connectivity, expand cooperation in the energy sector and upgrade transport infrastructure. It is expected that the visiting foreign minister will also meet Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif. During the visit, lunch will be arranged for them. ECO consists of 10 member states and three observers. The Islamabad meeting is seen as an important opportunity to explore new avenues for regional economic cooperation and strengthen trade relations between member countries.