Europe Asia News

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the 27th informal meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was held in New York.

The meeting, held as part of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, was chaired by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar.

The meeting was attended by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, and Türkiye’s Deputy Foreign Minister Berris Ekinci.

Also attending the meeting were Turkmenistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vepa Hajiyev, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Laziz Karaev, Director General at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Beibut Kulatayev, and ECO Secretary General Asad Majeed Khan.

Outlining Pakistan’s priorities for the organization as Chair of the ECO Council of Ministers for 2026–2027, Dar raised the deepening of trade and economic integration, development of regional connectivity and transit corridors, an ECO Free Trade Area supported by digital infrastructure, and increased cooperation on climate resilience.

Dar emphasized that ECO member states should harness their collective strength to promote peace, resilience and shared prosperity across a region of approximately 500 million people.

He also expressed deep concern over the current security situation in the region and the Middle East.