ECO Member States Share a Common Cultural Root

TEHRAN (Iran News) The event, held on Monday, brought together representatives of one of the most historically rooted regional organizations. ECO, originally founded in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey as a successor to the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD), expanded in 1992 to include seven additional countries—Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Home to more than half a billion people, ECO represents a region marked by intertwined histories, multilingual cultural traditions, and shared heritage sites that stretch across Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East.

Salehi-Amiri, addressing the participants, described his presence at the commemorative gathering as an honor, noting that ECO’s foundations rest on “natural, geographical, and civilizational bonds” that have historically placed the nations of the region side by side. He stressed that while political boundaries may divide states, they have never severed the cultural, linguistic, and historical ties that connect their populations.

“In culture, history, customs, and collective memory, no borders exist between us,” he said. He pointed to regional celebrations such as Nowruz and Yalda—festivals observed across the vast geography of ECO—as vivid demonstrations of this shared heritage. These traditions, he noted, do not merely symbolize cultural continuity; they reinforce a common identity that predates modern nation-states.

The minister described the ECO region as a successful example of long-standing civilizational cohesion. While other parts of the world, such as Europe, achieved integration only after centuries of conflict, the countries of the ECO region have historically been intertwined through trade routes, literary traditions, mystical thought, and artistic exchange.

“Cultural linkages, soft diplomacy, and civilizational chains have been the rule in our region, not the exception,” he said. Salehi-Amiri cited historical cities—from Faryab to Bukhara and Konya—as centers that nurtured shared intellectual traditions and produced poets, philosophers, and scholars whose influence transcended borders and continues to shape the region’s identity.

He added that the authentic identities of Iran, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, among others, are interwoven, reflecting centuries of shared linguistic and artistic development.

Calling the region’s cultural heritage a “strategic asset,” Salehi-Amiri highlighted its vast legacy of literature, manuscript tradition, miniature arts, poetry, and craftsmanship. He stressed that this heritage, spanning at least a thousand years, is unmatched globally in its depth and richness.

“Nowruz and Yalda are pillars of our shared regional identity, and today even the global community recognizes their cultural value,” he said. These elements of cultural patrimony, he argued, should serve as powerful foundations for enhancing regional collaboration in tourism, education, cultural industries, and creative economies.

In an era defined by globalization and competition, the minister argued that every region must identify its unique comparative advantage. For ECO countries, he said, that distinctive quality lies precisely in their shared culture, history, authenticity, and the “nobility of their peoples.”

Focusing on these assets, he suggested, could open new pathways for development and deeper integration across the region—economically, socially, and culturally.

In outlining a vision for the future of regional cooperation, Salehi-Amiri expressed hope that the ECO countries would move toward establishing a unified regional visa—similar to the Schengen model in Europe.

“One day, a single visa for the region will be realized,” he said. “A day when people can travel freely among neighboring countries, when tourists and investors operate without concern across all borders, and when cultural, economic, and political cooperation is strengthened on the foundation of people-to-people relationships.”

He concluded by noting that such a vision would not only enhance mobility and economic activity but would also reinforce the shared sense of belonging that has historically defined the region.