The fourth meeting of the ECO Interior Ministers was officially inaugurated today in Tehran with the presence of H.E. Mr. Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The event, held at the Summit Conference Hall in Tehran, marked a return after a 15-year hiatus, aligned with the Organization’s policy of regional engagement and expanding cooperation amongst the member states.
Addressing the participants, President Pezeshkian emphasized the need for stronger infrastructure and security cooperation in the ECO region, calling Ministries of Interior “key pillars of stability and economic resilience.” Highlighting threats such as illegal migration, drug trafficking and terrorism, he urged joint security mechanisms to address shared regional challenges.
Ministers and senior officials from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting. Interior Minister of Oman and Deputy Interior Minister of Iraq attended the event as guest delegates. The Secretariat of the Economic Cooperation Organization was represented by ECO Secretary General.
In his remarks, H.E. Dr. Eskandar Momeni, Interior Minister of Iran, emphasized the importance of utilizing police capacities and expertise, ensuring timely and efficient exchange of information between Member States and upgrading the level of international police cooperation to address terrorism and transnational organized crime.
ECO Secretary-General Dr. Asad M. Khan noted the significance of reconvening after such a long interval, observing that while ECO has made important advances in institutionalizing judicial and law-enforcement cooperation among its members, more regular engagement and implementation of agreed frameworks are required to meet emerging security challenges and support regional integration.
The Ministers reviewed the ECO’s progress report on regional law-enforcement cooperation, including efforts to prevent organized cross-border crime and enhance capacity for collective action. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Tehran Declaration, setting out shared commitments and next steps for participating States.
On the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting, ECO Secretary General Dr. Asad M. Khan held bilateral meetings with H.E. Ismat Aliyev, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan and H.E. Muhammet Hydyrov, Minister of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan. They discussed strengthening the framework of law enforcement cooperation in various fields within the ECO region.