On the successive meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the Economic Cooperation Organization

28 Sep

On 27 September 2024, the annual meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Member States was held on the margins of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly under the chairmanship of the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

At the meeting, the sides discussed the current state and results of collaboration within the Organization and outlined prospects for the development of economic cooperation.

In his speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan noted the importance of strengthening cooperation and developing strategies taking into account modern realities, including in the field of social justice, energy security, sustainable transport, environmental protection, digitalization and others.

In this context, it was proposed to develop special legal documents to promote trade and economic cooperation under the coordinative role of the ECO Secretariat.

The possibilities of strengthening partnership in the field of expansion of transit and transport infrastructure to contribute to the socio-economic development of the region, including Afghanistan were discussed at the meeting.

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The speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan follows:

Dear Minister Abbas Araghchi,

Dear Secretary General Asad Khan,

Dear Colleagues,

First of all, I would like to wish Minister Araghchi a successful chairmanship of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). I also congratulate Mr. Asad Khan on his recent appointment as Secretary General.

Our todays’ meeting is an important opportunity to exchange views on regional cooperation and strengthen economic ties among our countries. The 15th ECO Summit in Ashgabat on 28 November 2021 was a milestone, leading to the adoption of the “Ashgabat Consensus for Action,” which outlines key areas of cooperation, including trade, transport, energy, and social development.

I express my gratitude to the ECO Secretariat for its efforts to achieve the goals indicated in this document. Turkmenistan is committed to collaborate closely on the implementation of the “Vision 2025” concept and other key ECO initiatives.

As we build on the decisions from the 15th Summit, our primary focus should be on expanding mutually beneficial trade, economic, and investment ties. I propose that we bring special focus on the creation of economic corridors within the ECO region to facilitate the movement of goods and resources, and introduction of modern technologies.
We propose to develop an ECO Framework Agreement on Digital Technologies and Electronic Commerce to enhance these efforts.

To increase trade, we must actively engage in cross-border and regional activities, emphasizing partnerships among small and medium-sized enterprises in various spheres. Additionally, I suggest creating an Information Portal to provide data, statistics, business projects folder to enhance multilateral cooperation.

Turkmenistan is also aimed on establishing inter-regional transport corridors and multimodal transport links with Central Asian key ports and logistics hubs. I advocate for more coordinated transport diplomacy and collaboration with international organizations in this area.

Energy cooperation is another critical direction. In this regard, Turkmenistan is ready to expand natural gas and electricity supplies to ECO countries. We also believe the ECO Secretariat could take a leading role to address energy and water issues, and consider to organize a high-level meeting devoted to coordination of efforts of Member States in these spheres.

I would also like to bring your attention to several initiatives that Turkmenistan is already actively implementing with the ECO Secretariat:

Preparing for the First ECO Forum on Sustainable Development in Arkadag city;
Proclamation of Mary city as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2027;
To hold the 5th meeting of the Renewable Energy Group in Turkmenistan in 2024;
To establish ECO Cross-Border Trade Zones.

We rely on support from the ECO Members States in promoting these initiatives that are vital for enriching our regional cooperation for long-term.

Afghanistan remains a priority topic for our region. Collective efforts are essential to maintain security and stability for Afghan people. Turkmenistan has been actively engaged in multilateral efforts to support Afghanistan, providing strong economic and humanitarian assistance.

Recently, on 11 September this year we celebrated following significant milestones in Turkmen-Afghan relations:

large-scale energy, transport and infrastructure international projects took place on the border of the two countries.

completion of the Serhetabad-Turgundi railway bridge;
commencing the Shatlyk-1 gas compressor station for the TAPI gas pipeline;
launch of construction of Serhetabad-Herat part of TAPI;
opening of Serhetabad-Herat fibre-optic line;
start for construction of warehouse complex in Turgundi dry port;
and the commissioning of the Nur-El-Jahad power plant in Herat province within the first phase of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan power transmission line.

Dear Colleagues,

In conclusion, let me assure you that Turkmenistan is fully committed to supporting ECO's goals and stays open for collaboration with all Member States.

Thank you for your attention.