ECO Secretary General meets with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister

Press Release

Secretary General of ECO H. E. Seyed Mojtaba Arastou called on the Foreign Minister of Pakistan H. E Khurshid M. Kasuri on May 29, 2003. The Foreign Minster had arrived in Tehran to attend the 30^th Session of Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers. Ambassador of Pakistan H. E. Javid Husain was also present.

Ambassador Arastou briefed the Foreign Minister on the ongoing ECO activities in particular regarding the preparations for the scheduled June 11, 2003 Bishkek Meeting of Council of Ministers. Foreign Minister greatly thanked the Secretary General for comprehensive briefing. He gave his government’s firm support to the objectives of the Bishkek meeting.

Secretary General informed the Foreign Minister that ECO’s international stature has, recently, greatly enhanced and Secretary General of United Nations H. E. Kofi Anan had submitted a report to the 57^th Session of General Assembly regarding progress of relations between ECO and United Nations. He said that ECO has formal relations with over 14 United Nations specialized agencies, institutions and affiliated organizations.

Foreign Minister of Pakistan expressed his desire for increasing trade between ECO countries and asked probing questions as to how the trade between ECO countries could be enhanced. Secretary General answered these questions in great depth and detail. The Foreign Minister stated that he counts on Ambassador Arastou and the Secretariat to materialize the dream of ECO leaders for a free trade in ECO region. He highlighted the importance of a regional arrangement on trade before any trade regime in an enlarged setting.

Ambassador Arastou emphasized the importance of cooperation between private sectors through their respective chambers of Commerce. He quoted several examples where ECO countries were buying product from the same region but through third parties, at a greater cost. Secretary General stated that this could be easily avoided and direct trade in the region could work very efficiently. In this regard references to regional trade agreements were made and ways discussed as to how to apply them in the interest of traders and the consumers in the region.

Foreign Minister also proposed to ease the visa regime in the region in the interest of trade and people to people contact. He also proposed that ECO Secretariat could be strengthened with the presence of an expert in the Development Economics. The Secretary General agreed that ECO countries should strive for facilitation of travel between their countries and Project Research Directorate could be strengthened with the presence of an expert in Development Economics.

Meeting ended with the expression from both Ambassador Arastou and Foreign Minsister Kasuri that ECO had vast natural resources and great potential for development and all it needed was even greater cooperation between ECO Member States and utilization of technical knowledge and support present in the region as well as internationally.    

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