ISLAMABAD, July 3 (Alliance News): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday departed for Khankendi, Azerbaijan, to attend the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), themed “New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future”.
The two-day summit brings together heads of state and government from the ten ECO member countries to chart a collaborative path toward sustainable development and regional integration.
Leading Pakistan’s delegation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to share the country’s views on pressing regional and global issues, particularly in the context of economic challenges, environmental resilience, and the importance of connectivity across the ECO region.
His participation reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to the ECO Vision 2025, which emphasizes enhanced trade, transport links, energy cooperation, and inclusive development among member states.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier will hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit with leaders of other ECO nations.
These meetings aim to bolster bilateral relations, explore new areas of economic partnership, and deepen strategic collaboration within the ECO framework.
The summit comes at a time when climate change, energy security, and sustainable economic growth dominate the agenda of regional groupings across the world.
Pakistan, facing its own challenges related to floods, food insecurity, and energy transition, views ECO as a pivotal platform to voice collective concerns and find multilateral solutions.
ECO, which has evolved significantly over the past decades, holds strategic importance for Pakistan. Initially founded in 1964 as the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) by Pakistan, Iran, and Turkiye, it was renamed ECO in 1985.
The organization now includes ten member countries—Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan—representing a diverse and dynamic region with enormous untapped potential.
The ECO region, with its vast natural resources, youthful population, and key geopolitical location, serves as a bridge linking South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Collectively, ECO nations account for regional trade of over $76 billion, with the potential to grow exponentially through enhanced intra-regional trade, improved infrastructure, and coordinated economic policies.
The summit in Khankendi is expected to deliberate on mechanisms to improve trade liberalization, ease cross-border movement of goods and people, and invest in climate-resilient infrastructure.
The leaders will also discuss collective strategies to confront global inflation, food crises, and climate-related disasters, while reaffirming their shared commitment to economic integration.
In his previous statements, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized Pakistan’s active role in multilateral forums and the country’s belief in regional cooperation as a catalyst for peace and prosperity.
His attendance at the ECO summit is in line with Islamabad’s foreign policy to strengthen regional economic corridors, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which aligns with ECO’s broader vision of connectivity.
The Prime Minister is also expected to highlight the importance of ECO’s support for sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially in the domains of climate adaptation, food security, and digital transformation. Pakistan will stress the need for joint action on climate resilience, disaster preparedness, and equitable access to clean energy across the ECO region.
The summit follows the historic 13th ECO Summit hosted by Pakistan in 2017, where member states endorsed the ECO Vision 2025—setting goals for deepening regional economic integration and promoting stability and prosperity.
That summit marked a turning point for ECO as a more action-oriented body, with commitments made toward regional transport networks, trade facilitation, and environmental protection.
As the 17th ECO Summit unfolds, attention will focus on how member states address implementation gaps in ECO Vision 2025 and whether concrete steps are taken to reinvigorate regional trade mechanisms.
With the global economy facing uncertain headwinds, regional blocs like ECO are gaining importance in offering collective solutions to shared challenges.
The summit is expected to conclude with a joint declaration outlining the member countries’ shared objectives for the coming years, particularly in accelerating efforts toward a resilient, sustainable, and connected ECO region.
