TEHRAN (Iran News) –Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian says Iran attaches great significance to further expansion of its economic cooperation with Asian partners.
The ceremony was attended by the Secretary-General of the Economic Cooperation Organization, foreign envoys to Iran and political personalities and figures.
In the beginning, Amirabdollahian seized this opportunity, on the behalf of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to congratulate the 30th anniversary of the expansion of the Organization to the respected nations and governments of the member states of the Organization and the Secretary-General of ECO.
Undoubtedly, the accession of seven new countries in 1992 is considered an important milestone in the history of the Organization, he said, adding that ECO has a special position for the Islamic Republic of Iran as one of the founding countries of the Organization.
Deepening and expanding economic cooperation with neighbors, countries in the region and Asian countries is one of the priorities of economic diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Amirabdollahian emphasized.
“Multilateral and regional organizations such as ECO enjoy an important role in [the implementation of] this strategy,” he added.
“Deepening and expanding economic cooperation with neighbors, the regional countries, and Asian countries is among the priorities of the Iranian government’s diplomacy,” the top diplomat said in Tehran.
Amirabdollahian was addressing the 30th anniversary of expansion of the intergovernmental Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in 1992, which saw the body being joined by Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
“Multilateral and regional organizations such as ECO enjoy an important role in [the implementation of] this strategy,” he added.
Iran seizes upon whatever opportunity it can to “reinforce convergence” within the organization, the minister noted.
“Fortunately, there is consensus among all of ECO’s member states about the organization’s active and passive capacities for economic cooperation and convergence,” Amirabdollahian noted, calling the capacities “commendable, remarkable, and effective.”
The Tehran-headquartered ECO was established by the Islamic Republic, Pakistan, and Turkey in 1985.
The main purpose of the organization is to promote economic, technical, and cultural cooperation among the member states.
Amirabdollahian noted that the member countries’ economies performed synergistically concerning energy resources, skillful workforce, transportation networks, and food security as well as technological and innovative collaboration.
“This, together with common cultural, religious, and civilizational roots,” he added, “has led to an increasingly brighter outlook for cooperation” among the organization’s constituents.
