A Turkmen delegation, headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Gurbanov, participated in the 28th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), held on December 3 in the city of Mashhad, Islamic Republic of Iran.

The meeting was attended by heads of foreign policy agencies of ECO member states, as well as heads of regional organizations and specialized institutions, regional institutes, and structural units of the ECO.

Participants discussed a wide range of issues related to strengthening regional cooperation in trade, investment, green economy, digitalization, energy, food security, ecology, agriculture, and transport. Proposals were considered to further develop trade and economic ties, including the search for new ways of economic growth in the ECO space.

During the meeting, the work program of the Council was approved, reports on the activities of the Secretariat and specialized bodies of the ECO were adopted, the budget for 2025 was approved, and the results of Iran's chairmanship in the ECO were summed up. The chairmanship in 2025 was transferred to Kazakhstan.

In his speech, Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Ahmet Gurbanov emphasized that the conceptual documents "ECO Vision 2025" and "Ashgabat Consensus for Action" have created a solid platform for adaptation to new realities and outlined clear guidelines for joint activities in the near future. In this regard, Turkmenistan's position on priority areas of cooperation within the ECO was presented, as well as proposals for the ECO development strategy.

He noted the importance of developing cooperation in the fields of transport and logistics, in the energy sector, the expediency of expanding industrial cooperation through the creation of production lines, using the potential of cross-border and regional trade with an emphasis on activating partnerships in the field of small and medium-sized enterprises. The significance of joining efforts to ensure food security was highlighted.

Following the meeting, the Mashhad Communiqué was adopted, which outlines strategic initiatives and practical steps to strengthen multifaceted regional cooperation.

On the sidelines of the 28th meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers, a meeting was held between Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Ahmet Gurbanov and ECO Secretary-General Asad Majeed Khan.

The ECO Secretary-General noted the growing role of Turkmenistan in the ECO and expressed satisfaction with the country's holding of a number of significant regional and international events. Asad Khan voiced proposals to improve the effectiveness of the ECO and called on Turkmenistan to support these initiatives.

During the meeting, the parties discussed issues of developing the region's potential, as well as Turkmenistan's initiatives in the field of tourism and transport. The sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting the goals of the ECO and strengthening regional cooperation in the coming year, reported the press service of MFA Turkmenistan.

Ahmet Gurbanov also met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araqchi. The sides discussed issues of practical implementation of the agreements reached at the highest level during previous events held within the framework of the ECO.

The parties considered the possibilities of further deepening partnership in the trade and economic sphere, including the fuel and energy and industrial sectors, transport and logistics.

ORIENT