Your Excellency, 

I have the pleasure to extend to Your Excellency my sincere congratulations on the occasion of the ECO Day. 

It gives me pleasure to emphasize that the contribution of ECO to the development of regional cooperation is growing under your able lcadership. As one of the founding members, Turkey attaches importance to the improvement of ECO in accordance with ECO Vision 2015 document and remains committed to the goals and objectives of the Organization set out in the Treaty of Izmir. 

At a time when the financial crisis is being felt globally, as a regional economic Organization, ECO proves its significance in terms of cooperation and solidarity among the Member States. In this connection, I would like to underline the importance of cooperation in the priority arcas of ECO, namely trade, transport and energy, all of which will greatly contribute to the development of our national economies and reduce the effects of the crisis. To this end, my country fully supports the progressive liberalization of trade among the Member States and the efforts towards the elimination of non-tariff barriers. There is no doubt that increasing the volume of trade in the region will improve the welfare of the people of the ECO region with whom we have close historical and cultural ties. 

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.