The Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Ambassador Khusrav Noziri, addressed the media on November 9 in a press conference ahead of the 16th ECO Summit.
Ambassador Noziri began by expressing gratitude to the Heads of State and Government, as well as the Heads of Delegations, for their participation in this significant biennial meeting under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He commended the Government of Uzbekistan for their excellent organization of the event and warm hospitality, highlighting the success of the 5th Business Forum held on November 8 on the sidelines of the Summit.
The Secretary-General congratulated Uzbekistan for its active role during its chairmanship in 2022, emphasizing the country's proposals for cooperation in trade, investment, transport, and a "green" economy. He praised the theme of "Strengthening Connectivity" proposed by President Mirziyoyev for the year 2022 and highlighted the intensified cooperation between Uzbekistan and ECO in recent years.
“The chairmanship of Uzbekistan remained very active in all priority development sectors of the Organization. ECO held more than 25 events during Uzbekistan's chairmanship, which yielded significant achievements in enhancing regional cooperation in our priority sectors,” the Secretary-General stated.
Ambassador Noziri highlighted the achievements during Uzbekistan's chairmanship, including the endorsement of the Tashkent Communiqué during the 26th meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers in January 2023. He also noted the preparations for the establishment of two crucial corridors, the Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran, and the Tajikistan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkey Corridors, aiming to enhance regional connectivity.
The Secretary-General provided an overview of ECO, emphasizing its role as an intergovernmental economic forum comprising ten South, Central, and Western Asian nations. He recalled the 30th Anniversary of ECO Enlargement in 1992, welcoming Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan into the ECO family.
Noziri highlighted ECO's growth into a full-fledged organization with various regional institutions, affiliated bodies, and specialized agencies such as the ECO Cultural Institute, ECO Science Foundation, and ECO Educational Institute. He also acknowledged the significant progress in implementing various projects and legal frameworks to address regional challenges.
“ECO is a big family and stands as a full-fledged organization with various regional institutions, affiliated bodies, and three specialized agencies, including the ECO Cultural Institute, ECO Science Foundation, and ECO Educational Institute,” Ambassador Noziri noted.
Ambassador Noziri highlighted substantial achievements in advancing regional development goals through the implementation of various ECO projects and agreed-upon legal frameworks. Key initiatives, such as ECOTA, APPI, TTFA, the ECO Regional Electricity Market, and the ECO Clean Energy Center, among others, aim to address challenges in agriculture, ensure food security, and strengthen resilience against natural disasters.
In a bid to harness the untapped tourism potential of the region, Ambassador Noziri announced that Shakhrisabz City of Uzbekistan has been selected as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2024.
Looking ahead, Ambassador Noziri expressed optimism about the future of ECO economies, despite global economic challenges. He emphasized the promising projects on the organization's agenda that will support resilience and sustainable growth.
The Secretary-General concluded the press conference by expressing optimism about the prospects of ECO economies and the promising projects on the agenda for sustainable growth. He anticipated that the 16th ECO Summit would renew the commitment to sustainable development and provide valuable guidance for the region. Ambassador Noziri thanked the media for their attention and closed the press conference.
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