Ashgabat – Tehran | ORIENT. This week, a meeting of the Council of Permanent Representatives of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) took place in Tehran, cementing an important status quo: Turkmenistan's initiatives are becoming a long-term benchmark for the entire region.

The central topic of discussion was the Avaza Action Program for 2024–2034. It is important to note that, at Ashgabat's suggestion, the third priority area of this program was previously integrated into the global document, "Strategic Goals for Economic Cooperation – 2035," which is scheduled for adoption in the near future.

Transport as Priority No. 1: The ECO proposed a project to implement the third priority area of the Program – "Transit, Transport, and Connectivity" – in the ECO region. This specific project aims to create seamless logistics corridors in the region. The support of all ECO member countries for this direction confirms that Turkmenistan has proposed precisely the integration model needed by countries without access to the ocean.

The Voice of LLDC Countries on the Global Stage. Participants were briefed on the Organization's work on the topic "Avaza Action Framework 2024-2034 and the ECO Region" at the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, as well as on planned steps for the coming period. This gives the regional initiative a global platform, becoming part of the global sustainable transport agenda.

Information Transparency. The creation of a special section on the official ECO portal, «AWAZA Programme of Action 2024-2034 and the ECO Region» was a symbolic and important step. The region's development roadmap for the next decade is now available online to investors and international partners.

Expert Opinion: Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the ECO, Ylyas Gayipov, noted that the active participation of all parties in the implementation of the Avaza Programme transforms it from a national project into a collective strategy for success. For the region, located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, such "interconnectedness" is the only path to economic prosperity.