ISLAMABAD: The 13th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit will kick off on this Wednesday in Islamabad, ARY News reported.
Addressing a press conference, Special Adviser to Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz Saturday said that the meeting of ECO Foreign Ministers Council will be held on 28th February.
Several heads of states have assured their attendance in the summit, Aziz said.
He said Pakistan had also hosted the 3rd ECO summit in 1995.
He said that the theme of this year’s conference is regional connectivity, which will give more importance to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Ten regional countries are members of the Economic Cooperation Organization having headquarters in Iran’s capital Tehran. The meeting of ECO is held after every two years.
Aziz said that the summit has no threat by the recent surge in terrorism acts in the country. He said, “Contacts and meetings are not stopped due to terrorist attacks in the country.”
“A positive image of Pakistan will be highlighted from the meeting,” he further said.
He said that the government is taking strict security measures for the summit.
He said that discussions are underway to organize a summit regarding the political situation in Afghanistan. He said that the Pak-Afghan border will be reopened within few days.
It is pertinent to mention here that the borders with Afghanistan were closed after recent terrorist attacks that claimed over hundred lives of innocent civilians across Pakistan.
Aziz said that Pakistan wants the upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference to be held in Islamabad as well.
He said that India’s avowed plans of isolating Pakistan have failed. “Everyone will come to know that Pakistan can organize high-level heads of state conferences as well,” he added.
