On September 27, 2024, on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, the annual meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was held under the chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
At the meeting, the parties discussed the current situation and results of interaction within the Organization, and outlined prospects for the development of economic cooperation.
In his speech, the head of the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan noted the importance of strengthening cooperation and developing strategies taking into account modern realities, including in the areas of social justice, energy security, sustainable transport, environmental protection, digitalization, etc.
In this context, it was proposed to develop special legal documents to promote trade and economic cooperation with the coordinating role of the ECO Secretariat.
The meeting discussed the possibilities of strengthening partnership in the area of expanding transit and transport infrastructure, designed to promote the socio-economic development of the region, including Afghanistan.
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The following is the text of the speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan:
Dear Minister Abbas Araghchi, Dear Secretary General Asad Khan, Dear colleagues,
First of all, I would like to wish Minister Araghchi a successful presidency of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). I also congratulate Mr. Asad Khan on his recent appointment as Secretary-General.
Our meeting today is an important opportunity to exchange views on regional cooperation and strengthen economic ties between our countries. The 15th ECO Summit in Ashgabat on 28 November 2021 marked an important milestone, which resulted in the adoption of the “Ashgabat Consensus for Action”, which outlined key areas of cooperation, including trade, transport, energy and social development.
I express my gratitude to the ECO Secretariat for its efforts to achieve the goals outlined in this document. Turkmenistan is committed to closely cooperating in the implementation of Vision 2025 and other key ECO initiatives.
Building on the decisions of the 15th summit, we must focus on expanding mutually beneficial trade, economic and investment ties. I propose paying special attention to the creation of economic corridors in the ECO region to facilitate the transportation of goods and resources, as well as the introduction of modern technologies.
We propose to develop an ECO Framework Agreement on Digital Technologies and E-Commerce to enhance these efforts.
To increase trade volumes, we must actively participate in cross-border and regional activities, focusing on partnerships between small and medium-sized enterprises in various fields. In addition, we propose creating an Information Portal that will host data, statistics, and business project prototypes to expand multilateral cooperation.
Turkmenistan also aims to create interregional transport corridors and multimodal transport links with key ports and logistics hubs in Central Asia. We advocate more coordinated transport diplomacy and cooperation with international organizations in this area.
Another important area is cooperation in the energy sector . In this regard, Turkmenistan is ready to expand supplies of natural gas and electricity to the ECO countries. We also believe that the ECO Secretariat could take a leading role in addressing energy and water issues and consider organizing a high-level meeting to coordinate the efforts of member states in these areas.
I would also like to draw your attention to several initiatives that Turkmenistan is already actively implementing jointly with the ECO Secretariat:
- – Preparation for the First ECO Forum on Sustainable Development in the city of Arkadag;
- – Proclamation of the city of Mary as the tourism capital of the ECO for 2027;
- -Holding the 5th meeting of the Renewable Energy Group in Turkmenistan in 2024;
- – Creation of cross-border trade zones of the ECO.
We count on the support of ECO member states in promoting these initiatives, which are very important for enhancing our regional cooperation in the long term.
Afghanistan remains a priority topic for our region. Collective efforts are needed to maintain security and stability for the Afghan people. Turkmenistan actively participates in multilateral efforts to support Afghanistan, providing powerful economic and humanitarian assistance.
Recently, on September 11 of this year, we marked the following important milestones in Turkmen-Afghan relations.
Large-scale energy, transport and infrastructure international projects have been implemented on the border of the two countries:
- commissioning of the railway bridge of the Serhetabat-Turgundi steel highway;
- laying the foundation of the gas compressor station “Şatlyk-1” for the TAPI gas pipeline;
- launch of construction of the Serhetabat-Herat section of the TAPI gas pipeline;
- launch of the Serhetabat-Herat fiber-optic communication line;
- the beginning of construction of a warehouse complex in the dry port of Turgundi;
- and the commissioning of the Nur-Al-Jahad power plant in Herat province as part of the first stage of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan power transmission line.
Dear colleagues,
In conclusion, let me assure you that Turkmenistan is fully committed to supporting the goals of the ECO and remains open to cooperation with all participating States.