PM Sharif opens Economic Cooperation Organization Summit in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Cooperation Organization summit has been underway in Islamabad as six heads of state and government’s of the member countries have arrived Pakistan’s capital city to attend the 13th Summit of the regional grouping.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his address to the summit said Pakistan believes in peaceful neighborhood.

He said the ECO member countries could achieve their targets of development with mutual cooperation.

All ten member states including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the host Pakistan are participating in the Summit. China has sent a special representative to attend the ECO summit.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Sharipovitch Jeenbekov and Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Ulugbak Rozukulov are present in the Summit.

“Connectivity for Regional Prosperity”, has been the central theme of the conference, which assumes special significance in the backdrop of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The member states will focus on intra-region and inter-regions connectivity in energy, infrastructure, transport and trade sectors.

The meeting will adopt Islamabad Declaration and ECO Vision 2025 at the conclusion of the summit, envisaging road map for enhanced economic cooperation and connectivity. The declaration was earlier approved by the council of ministers of the member countries.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who assumed the charge of the chairmanship,called for intensified collaboration to exploit enormous potential of ECO to turn the region into a cradle of peace, progress and prosperity.

He said Islamabad Declaration would reflect the consensus and resolve of ECO member states to collectively take on the contemporary economic challenges.

He called for sustained focus on cooperation in trade, transport and energy which could lead to a transformative change across the region.

Strict security measures have been taken in Islamabad for the summit and the roads leading to the venue of the conference have been closed to traffic. Local administration has declared a public holiday in the federal capital on the occasion of the summit.