The Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a meeting with the president of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Yalçın Yüksel, welcomed the prospect of the ECO’s extension to the landlocked Central Asian nations.
Sharif is visiting Turkey, where he met with the president of the ECO, his office said on Twitter.
Meanwhile, the Afghan Ministry of Economy (MoE) said that the ECO can play an important role in the economic development in Afghanistan.
“Our expectation is to see ECO be more active, so it can promote the regional economy and play its role in the region,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, the deputy Minister of Economy.
The economists said that Afghanistan can play an important role in the ECO.
“Afghanistan has a big role in ECO now. Its role is linked to the success and failure of the ECO. Afghanistan is a hub between South Asia and Central Asia,” said Sayed Masoud, an economist.
“Afghanistan’s membership in ECO is important and it can help Afghanistan in customs affairs, trade, and transit,” said Daryakhan Baheer, an economist.
The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said that the ECO includes 10 countries and that it could be very effective in economic development in the region.
“We are a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the ECO. Afghanistan had the chairmanship of the ECO about two years ago. And currently Iran has the chairmanship of the ECO,” said Khanjan Alokozai, a member of the ACCI.
Pakistan, Iran and Turkey are the main members of the ECO. In 1372 (solar year), Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan joined the ECO.
