Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister (DPM/FM), Senator Ishaq Dar on Friday stressed the need for ECO member states to enhance cooperation in sustainable transport, transit trade, customs harmonization, and climate-resilient infrastructure. The DPM/FM was addressing the 29th Meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers (COM) held virtually, where he urged joint efforts by the member countries to combat terrorism, which threatens regional economic progress.
In his address, the DPM congratulated Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Yermek Kosherbayev for successfully hosting the ECO-COM meeting. He also appreciated the contributions of Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, and the ECO Secretary General, Ambassador Dr. Asad Majeed Khan, for their leadership in advancing the ECO agenda.
DPM Dar underscored ECO’s important role in fostering prosperity, economic integration, and connectivity. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the ECO Vision 2025 and expressed Pakistan’s intent, as incoming Chair of the ECO COM, to work closely with Member States in finalising the ECO Vision 2026 – 2035.
The deputy prime minister emphasized Pakistan’s priority to strengthen multimodal transport corridors, harmonize customs frameworks, and align transport systems for seamless regional integration. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to fully operationalize key regional connectivity projects including the Islamabad – Tehran – Istanbul Rail Corridor, the Eurasian Multimodal Corridor, and new railway initiatives linking Central Asia with Pakistan via Afghanistan.
Recalling the successful Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference held in Islamabad in October 2025, he noted that Pakistan is actively shaping regional transport cooperation in road, rail, maritime, and digital connectivity. He also highlighted Pakistan’s liberalised visa policy, enabling easier access for businesspersons and tourists from 126 countries.
He thanked Member States for designating Lahore as ECO Tourism Capital 2027, and extended an invitation to the ECO members to attend the 30th ECO-COM Meeting in Pakistan next year.
