ECO Secretary General visited Ankara

 

Press Release
 

         H.E. Mr. Askhat Orazbay, Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) visited Ankara (Turkey) from 11-13 March 2004 and paid courtesy calls on the Turkish dignitaries, H.E. Mr. Ahmet Necdet Sezer, President of the Republic of Turkey, H.E. Mr. Abdullah Gul, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Mr. Ali Coskun, Minister of Trade and Industry.

 

         During the meeting with the President, the Secretary General thanked Turkey for being active member in supporting and contributing ECO in implementing its activities ,programmes and projects and expressed his hope that Turkey will not only continue but will enhance the contribution and support to ECO. The Secretary General briefed the President about the priority projects of ECO under implementation i.e. ECO Trade Agreement (ECOTA), Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA), Feasibility study on Interconnection of ECO countries Power Systems funded by Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Establishment of ECO Development Bank and ECO Reinsurance Company and Almay-Tashkent-Turkmenabad-Tehran-Istanbul, Passenger Train Route.   The Secretary General also informed the President that the 8th ECO Summit to be preceded with 14th COM meeting has been scheduled to be held on September 14, 2004 in Tajikistan.

 

         The President, assured the Secretary General that Turkey will extend its support for the implementation of the ECO priority projects and continue to contribute to ECO in all its activities in enhanced manner. The President also expressed his concurrence with the date and confirmed his participation in the 8th Summit Meeting to be held in Dusanbeh.

 

         The Secretary General, during the meeting informed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, about the same aforesaid priority projects of ECO during the meeting with the President and requested the possible support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  of Turkey for implementation of these projects. The Secretary General also informed the Minister that the 8th Summit and the 14th ECO Council of Minister (COM) will be held in September 2004 in Tadjikistan  and requested his contribution to the meetings. The Minister, while assured the Secretary General the full support of Turkey to ECO in general and to the secretary General in particular, emphasized on the need of more active ECO for the development of the region. The minister also emphasized on the requirement of the establishment of the ECO Trade and Development Bank and Reinsurance Company. 

  

         The Secretary General, during the meeting with the Minister of Trade and Industry, informed the Minister that the ECO Secretariat is following up the implementation of decisions of the first ECO Ministerial Meeting of Industry held on January 27, 2004, in Tehran, and requested the Minister to designate focal point for the implementation of the decisions.  The Minister, while welcoming the Secretary General, pointed out that his Ministry is ready to extend its supports to ECO in its activities in the areas of industry. The Minister also pointed out that the ECO-CCI should have a permanent Secretariat to activate the private sector of the ECO region. 

  

         The Minister invited the Secretary General to participate in the OECD Ministerial meeting to be held on June 2-6, 2004, in Istanbul, as all ten member states of ECO are also invited to participate in this meeting.

      

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