Iran hopes ECO summit in Pakistan will further enhance cooperation

Iran’s president says he hopes an upcoming meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) will work to enhance relations and cooperation among the body’s member states.

President Hassan Rouhani made the remark in a Friday evening telephone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose country will be hosting the 13th Meeting of the ECO.

“I hope we would witness positive developments, close relationships among member states, and also the reinforcement of cooperation in this regional organization during the next summit,” Rouhani told Sharif.

The intergovernmental regional organization was founded by Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey back in 1985. It also groups Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Its 13th plenary session is due in Islamabad on March 1.

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The organization had its first ever summit held in Tehran in 1992. The Iranian capital went on to host two more plenums. ECO’s last summit was held in the Azeri capital of Baku in 2012.

The body works toward ensuring that its members witness steady economic progress while also working to facilitate better cooperation among them.

The Iranian chief executive also welcomed the development of bilateral ties with Pakistan.

Sharif, for his part, felicitated the Islamic Republic on the occasion of the anniversary of the victory of its 1979 Islamic Revolution and said it was a foreign policy priority for Islamabad to further mutual relations with Tehran.

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