1. I have great pleasure to inform you that we have recently held a very successful session of the Regional Planning Council (RPC) of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) at Antalya from 16 – 18 February, 2010. A detailed report of the meeting has been circulated by the Secretariat. I will give short assessment of the outcome of the meeting for your kind information. First of all, I must express my appreciation of the Republic of Turkey for making such an excellent arrangement.
2. The meeting was attended by delegations from all the ten Member States of ECO. I led the delegation of the ECO Secretariat. The delegation of the Northern Turkish Cypriot State also participated in the meeting as an Observer. The Representatives of the ECO’s Specialized Agencies and Regional Institutes, including the ECO Cultural Institute, the ECO Trade and Development Bank, the ECO College of Insurance, the ECO Consultancy and Engineering Company, the ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the ECO Reinsurance Company attended the meeting. The Head of UNIDO Representative Office, Turkey and a Senior Researcher from SESRIC also participated in the meeting. Preparatory/Review meetings were also held on the sidelines.
3. His Excellency Dr. Kemal Madenoglu, Undersecretary of the State Planning Organization of the Republic of Turkey welcomed the high level participation from the Member States which showed their strong commitment for enhanced cooperation in various fields of ECO activities.
4. His Excellency Dr. Cevdet Yilmaz, Minister of State of the Republic of Turkey inaugurated the meeting and extended a warm welcome to all delegations. In his remarks the Minister of State said that apart from being neighbour to global centres of power such as the EU, China and Russia, the ECO Member States have rich natural resources and high agricultural potential. To gain maximum benefit from this potential, he emphasized the need for carrying forward regional cooperation. He also proposed that free trade agreements could be the starting point in these efforts and referred to different projects in the field of trade, transport, agriculture and energy.
5. The Annual Report on the activities of the Organization during 2009 was discussed at length during the Meeting. The RPC as an important annual event provided the opportunity to Member States to review the past progress and chalk out ECO future course of action for realization of its collective goals and objectives. An overview of the important meetings held, decisions made and follow-up actions taken during the year 2009 was also given. In the comments of the Member States, Turkey mentioned that it should be considered as a role model for regional and economic modernization acting as a bridge between the East and the West, opening new gates for the ECO Member States. The Member States were urged to expedite signing and ratifying the ECO agreements. In the globalized world, regionalism was gaining more significance and regional approach offered collective solutions to challenges that transcend the boundaries of a single nation. It was emphasized that the potential and will of working together for the realization of common goals and objectives of ECO, needed work with sharper focus, renewed commitment and greater vigour. The Council appreciated the comprehensive report and took note of the useful observations and suggestions reflected in the Working Papers prepared by different Directorates.
6. The Council dwelt at length on the programmes and proposals contained in the Working Papers prepared by the ECO Secretariat. These included reviewing the progress of implementation of ECO programmes and projects approved by the 19th RPC and the 18th Council of Ministers, status report on the implementation of ECO Calendar of Events for 2009-2010, consideration of new programmes and projects for the year 2010.
7. The Council noted, with appreciation, the work of the Secretariat for implementation of the decisions of RPCs and other high level ECO organs, highlighting the progress made on implementation of the ongoing Programmes/Projects and Calendar of Events for the year 2009
8. His Excellency Dr. Kemal Madenoglu, Undersecretary of the State Planning Organization of the Republic of Turkey was unanimously elected as the Chairman of the meeting.
9. The Heads of Delegation from all the ten Member States in their statements, outlined their countries’ policies and views on the programmes and activities of the Organization. The Representative of the Turkish Cypriot State also delivered his statement.
10. Managing Director, Global Advisory and Training Services Ltd. of the Republic of Turkey made a presentation on Post-Crises Macroeconomic Trends and Policy Recommendations for Developing Countries.The Presidents of the ECO Trade and Development Bank and the ECO Cultural Institute as well as the representatives of other ECO Specialized Agencies and Regional Institutions, i.e. the ECO College of Insurance, the ECO Consultancy and Engineering Company, the ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the ECO Reinsurance Company delivered statements highlighting their activities and perspective for 2010.
11. The Council greatly appreciated the offer of Islamic Republic of Pakistan to host the 21st RPC Meeting at Islamabad.
12. The Council concluded with a vote of thanks to the Chair for conducting the deliberations of the meeting in a smooth and efficient manner. The Council also thanked the Chairmen of various Review Committees for successfully conducting the business of their respective Review Committees. It also appreciated the efforts made by the ECO Secretary General and staff for preparing comprehensive Working Papers and other documents for the Council.
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