Press Release
The ECO Secretary General attended the inauguration of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia (UNRCCA) in Ashgabat on 10 December, 2007. It was chaired by the President of Turkmenistan and attended by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Under-Secretary General for the UN and the Foreign Ministers of five ECO member states - Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Addressing the ceremony, the ECO Secretary General welcomed establishment of the UN Regional Centre as a positive step which would contribute to peace and stability in the region. He dilated on the role of regional organizations which, he said, constituted an important link in preventive diplomacy. They should be fully utilized to resolve regional disputes. Those that were the baggage of the past should be consigned to the past. They should be settled and buried once for all. They must not be allowed to derail development in the region.
On the sidelines of the Conference, the Secretaries General of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation. It would cover such fields as trade and transportation energy and environment, tourism and such other areas as might be mutually agreed. A work programme was agreed to be prepared for that purpose. The representatives of the two organizations would be invited to important events of both organizations.
.JPG)
Speaking to the media after the signing ceremony, the ECO Secretary General explained that four of ECO member states were also members of SCO. In addition, two of ECO States – Iran and Pakistan - had observer status in SCO. Both organizations covered essentially the same geographic area and shared important objectives. The MoU signed in Ashgabat on 11 December, 2007, would provide an institutional framework for cooperation between the ECO and SCO Secretariats. He thanked the SCO Secretary, H. E. Mr. Bolat Nurgaliov for his support and cooperation, facilitating the signing of the MoU. He also thanked the Government of Turkmenistan for their assistance.
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