Pakistan this week brought together 10 Central Asian neighbors in a trade grouping in a sign of its growing importance in the resource-rich region.
Heads of state and government, and senior officials of 10-member Economic Cooperation Organization gathered in capital Islamabad, eliciting expressions of regional economic and trade cooperation.
The ECO Summit also brought together Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan, who met following months of tensions between the two large neighbors.
On the opposite sides of the Syrian conflict, Iran and Turkey have been exchanging hot words in recent weeks but their meeting in Islamabad and commitment to improve bilateral ties underscore Pakistan’s important bridge-building role.
The leaders backed efforts toward development and peace in Afghanistan but Kabul missed an opportunity to create goodwill among neighbors at a time of much uncertainty as its top political leaders stayed in protest against Pakistan’s closure of border due to terror concerns.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told the summit that Pakistan had the location, political stability, and increasing physical infrastructure to achieve common vision for making the 10-member regional group a powerful economic bloc and an engine of growth.
“At its heart, the ECO has always subscribed to a people-centric agenda. At this summit, we want to focus on greater connectivity and trade linkages amongst our countries, in order to deliver progress to the people of the ECO region,” he noted.
At the same time, he pointed out challenges and the need for much work ahead.
“Though the region has enormous potential, and accounts for 16% of the world’s population, we generate only 2% of the world’s trade. And, trade within the ECO region is a small fraction of our trade with the rest of the world,” he noted. “These numbers are not commensurate with what we could achieve through greater integration and connectivity. They are also at variance with our rich historical legacy,” he said.
ECO leaders in Islamabad for 2017 Summit, Photo: Foreign Ministry Pakistan
“This region was once synonymous with the fabled Silk Road. It was a melting pot of civilizations; a conduit for trade and commerce, as well as a corridor for culture and ideas. We are the proud heirs of Al-Beruni, Farabi, Saadi, Rumi and Allama Iqbal, to name just a few of our glorious ancestors,” he added. “It is now time for us to reclaim our historic role as Asia’s center of economic and trade activity,” he said.
“Theme of this summit – Connectivity for Regional Prosperity – is both inspired by our shared past and evidence of our commitment to a future of shared prosperity,” he said.
Other leaders also expressed willingness to step up efforts toward expanding regional trade.
Recognizing Pakistan’s growing importance as regional power and vibrant economy, member states welcomed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a far-reaching initiative for the development of entire region and expressed resolve to enhance ECO-wide connectivity in terms of transport and transit; telecommunications; cyber; and all forms of energy; as well as people-to-people exchanges, including through regional tourism arrangements.
The 13th summit of the regional organization comprising the agro-industrial economies of South-West Asia and resource-rich states of Central Asia, was attended by among others by leaders of Turkey, Iran, Azerbijan, Tajikstan, Uzbekstan, Pakistan, Kyrghstan, Kazakhstan and Turkemenistan.
In Islamabad Declaration, the ECO Member States particularly acknowledged the importance of Afghanistan for ECO Region. Peace and stability in Afghanistan are critical to the Central Asian states’ plans to expand trade ties with Pakistan and through CPEC with other countries via Pakistani deep sea port Gwadar.
The participating leaders reiterated that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnicity and expressed resolve to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
The ECO welcomed further enlargement and outreach of the organization through full membership to the interested states, and observership to the interested states/ organizations, on case to case basis, adding value to the organization.
Welcoming the adoption of the ECO Vision 2025 as a comprehensive document outlining the core principles and areas of cooperation within ECO, the heads of member states of the ECO Summit resolved that Member States as well as ECO Secretariat, ECO Specialized Agencies and Regional Institutions will take necessary steps for implementation of ECO Vision 2025 in a timely and effective manner.
