ECO Summit adopts Baku Declaration

17:15, 17 October 2012

BAKU. October 17. KAZINFORM The 12th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) ended Tuesday in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, with the adoption of the final declaration by member states, which outlined the vision and guidance for the organization, official media said.

photo: QAZINFORM

At the one-day summit, which opened here Tuesday morning, Azerbaijan took over the ECO chairmanship from Turkey, Xinhua reports.

The summit was attended by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Pakistan , Iran , Afghanistan , Tajikistan, as well as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, high-ranking officials of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan and Turkmenistan.

In the opening speech, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said that member-states of the organization would witness positive changes and further development during Azerbaijan's chairmanship in ECO.

"Our organization deals with economic issues, but economic issues should not be separated from the geostrategic issues. Our common efforts will lead to common achievements. We cannot be independent without strong economy," he said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the importance of cooperation in economic, energy and transport sectors. According to Erdogan, the removal of all barriers for trade and the abolition or simplification of tax and customs duties will promote the development of trade between the ECO member countries.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has voiced the initiative to create a political forum within ECO, for coordination of actions on the international arena, helping out the member states in disputable issues and for protection of rights and interests of ECO member states in international organizations, and for taking joint steps for reforming international structures, including the UN.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation was founded by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey in 1985. In 1992, the ECO expanded to include seven new members, namely Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

In 1993 the organization was granted observer status at the UN and a year later in the Organization of Islamic Conference, now the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The next summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization will be held in Pakistan in 2013.