For the first time in history, Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, will host the Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization. It will be held on 8-9 November, 2023.
Our country has been a member of the organization since November 1992, but this is the first time in the history of independent Uzbekistan and this association that a multilateral summit within the framework of the ECO is being held on Uzbek soil.
The Economic Cooperation Organization is a regional interstate organization founded in 1985 in Tehran (Iran).
The goals and objectives of ECO – development of mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation and regional interaction in transport and communication sphere fully meet the interests of our republic.
At present, the ECO members are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
Since 1995, the ECO has had observer status in the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The ECO activities are coordinated and monitored by the organization’s Secretary General, who is elected and appointed by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the ECO member countries for a period of three years.
In 2022, Uzbekistan chaired the ECO for the first time. Speaking at the 15th ECO Summit in Ashgabat on 28 November 2021, President ShavkatMirziyoyev put forward proposals for cooperation in trade, investment, transport and “green” economy. “We need to more fully utilize the significant potential of our countries, which have a huge market with a population of over 500 million people, in the spheres of trade and investment,” the head of our state stressed at the summit. Accepting the chairmanship, the President said Uzbekistan favors the development of comprehensive relations within the ECO framework.
Our country considers ECO as a platform for discussing ways to improve development and promote trade and investment opportunities in South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East.
Within the framework of ECO, Uzbekistan advocates the creation of interregional transit hubs, the development of modern transport and road infrastructure, theoptimisation of transport and transit tariffs, the simplification of conditions for international freight and passenger traffic and the introduction of digitalisation in the transport industry.
In addition, at the summit in Ashgabat, President ShavkatMirziyoyev put forward an initiative on active joint development of “green” economy, wide introduction of resource-saving technologies in industrial sectors, and achievement of carbon neutrality.
Uzbekistan is also in favor of joining efforts to develop common approaches and provide necessary assistance to Afghanistan. In this regard, the head of our state has put forward an initiative to consistently continue the implementation of major trade, transport and energy projects of regional significance jointly with Afghanistan in order to promote the economy of this country and support its people.
Today, the ECO countries are the largest trade partners of Uzbekistan. According to the results of 2022, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and ECO countries totalled $12.3 billion, and in January-July 2023 – $5.8 billion.
Since May 2018, there has been an intensification of Uzbekistan’s cooperation with ECO. In particular, since 2018, ECO Secretaries General Khalil Akca, HadiSoleimanpour, KhusravNoziri, as well as Deputy Secretary General Hussein Burchakli have visited Uzbekistan.
