Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat hosted the 25th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) on Saturday. The participants reviewed a report of the ECO Secretary General and recommendations on ECO regional projects (2021-2022), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan said in its press release.
They outlined the main economic achievements of the organization for the reporting period in terms of economic efficiency and effectiveness, review of current ECO projects and programs. The agenda also included consideration of the midterm review of ECO Vision 2025, issues of adoption of the Charter on the establishment of the ECO Center for Clean Energy, consideration of the annual reports of specialized agencies, regional institutions and affiliated bodies of the ECO.
The Chairman of the 24th Meeting of ECO Ministerial Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu made an opening speech at the meeting. The floor was then given to the ECO Secretary General Khusrav Noziri, who briefed on the current state of affairs in ECO.
In accordance with the Concept of Turkmenistan's Chairmanship in ECO for 2021 a number of key objectives were outlined, such as advancement of investment activities in the member countries, creation of free trade and economic zones, formation of new economic corridors, establishment of partnerships in sustainable energy field.
Chairman of the 25th meeting of the ECO Ministerial Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov in his speech said this platform for many years serves as an effective mechanism for the development and strengthening of trade and economic relations within the ECO, which has repeatedly been used to exchange views on other topical issues. The Ministers of the ECO Member States and the Heads of the specialized agencies of the organization also took the floor within the framework of the meeting.
One of the main topics for discussion were the preparations to the forthcoming 15th ECO Summit. The ministers exchanged views on the draft Agenda of the Summit, the Ashgabat Consensus for Action, and the documents to be signed during the high-level forum.
The meeting also included the adoption of the report of the 25th meeting of the ECO Ministerial Council.
The meeting was followed by the signing ceremony of numerous documents, including the Memorandum of Understanding between the ECO and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).
