The 28th Meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers (COM) was held on December 3, 2024 in Mashhad, Iran. The Foreign Ministers/Heads of Delegations of the ECO Member States which include the Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran (Chair/Host), Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan attended the meeting.

ECO Secretariat and specialized agencies and subsidiary bodies of ECO, including the ECO Science Foundation, ECO Trade and Development Bank, ECO Cultural Institute and ECO Educational Institute, ECO Trade and Development Bank (ECO-TDB), ECO Supreme Audit Institute, ECO Regional Center for Risk Management of Natural Disasters (ECORCRM), Secretary Generals of ACD and D-8, ECO College of Insurance and CICA representatives also attended the event. as well as observers and partner international organizations, including the Turkish Cypriot State, Organization of Turkic States, the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, Asia Cooperation Dialogue, and CICA attended the event.

H.E. Mr. Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran chaired the meeting which revolved around the 2024’s theme “Year of Enhanced and Resilient ECO Region through Expansion of Intra-Regional Trade.” The Council of ECO Foreign Ministers discussed critical regional priorities, particularly trade, energy, transportation and environmental sustainability, with a shared commitment to strengthening regional integration and sustainable economic growth. The Council also guided the Organization’s future endeavors, particularly discussing development of the new ECO strategy, which will set out the roadmap beyond Vision 2025.

Before COM Meeting, a Senior Officials Meeting (SoM) was held on December 2, 2024 to review and finalize the contents of Agenda and Report as well as the Mashhad Communiqué to be considered and adopted by the COM.

The ECO Secretary General, H.E. Mr. Asad M. Khan, delivered an insightful briefing to the Senior Officials, presenting a comprehensive report on ECO’s multifaceted activities and strategic efforts aimed at deepening engagement and fostering robust connections with its international partners.

Two member ECOSF Delegation headed by Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Memon Executive Director and accompanied by Mr. Ghulam Abbas Rahar, Manager (Administration) attended the event. Dr. Memon made a statement during the COM Meeting. In his statement, Dr. Memon thanked the host authorities of Iran and the Secretariat of ECO for organizing the meeting amicably. Dr. Memon also thanked the Iranian authorities for their warm hospitality. Dr. Memon highlighted key activities of ECOSF carried out during the year 2024. He also shared that non-ratification of ECOSF Charter is an impediment to function smoothly so he requested the non-ratified member countries to ratify the Charter and its Additional Protocol. Dr. Memon informed the Meeting about the financial problems faced by the foundation and urged Member Countries to pay their mandatory budgetary contribution to uplift the Foundation to realize the aims and objectives.

The Council adopted the Mashhad Communiqué, a pivotal outcome document that sets strategic directions for ECO’s activities, reinforcing cooperation among Member States. The meeting also reviewed progress on key initiatives and projects, emphasizing the importance of collective action to address shared challenges and opportunities.

The Council also emphasized ECO’s expanding global engagement, commending efforts to strengthen partnerships with international and regional organizations, including enhanced collaboration with United Nations agencies and other multilateral platforms. These relationships were recognized as pivotal to advancing ECO’s objectives and increasing its international visibility

The 29th ECO Council of Ministers Meeting will take place in Kazakhstan in 2025, marking the next step in ECO’s mission to advance regional prosperity.