Azerbaijan to host ECO summit in 2025, says foreign minister UPDATED

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has addressed the 28th meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Mashhad, Iran.

In his remarks, Bayramov outlined Azerbaijan’s vision for the future of cooperation within the ECO, highlighting key areas, including economy, trade, energy security, ecology, transport, and communications, Caliber.Az reports.

Minister Bayramov announced that Azerbaijan intends to host the next Economic Cooperation Organisation summit in 2025. He emphasized the need for the active participation of all ECO member states in the preparations for the event. Bayramov also underscored the significance of the strategic document ECO Vision 2025, which outlines the economic potential of member countries, regional challenges, and the agenda for sustainable development.

Given that many ECO members are landlocked, Bayramov highlighted the importance of regional infrastructure projects, particularly those enhancing connectivity, including the North-South Corridor, the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor, and the Digital Silk Road. He also mentioned the modernization of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and a new transport project that will connect the East Zangezur economic region with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic via Iran.

Additionally, Bayramov discussed regional initiatives, noting that the strategic partnership agreement on green energy development and transmission, signed between the governments of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan at COP29, would play a crucial role in ensuring economic development and energy security in the region.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Mashhad Communiqué, which outlines strategic initiatives and actionable steps to strengthen multifaceted regional cooperation. The Communiqué reflects ECO’s commitment to fostering a resilient and integrated region while addressing shared challenges collectively.

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Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov attended and addressed the 28th meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) in Mashhad, Iran. 

Bayramov spoke about the perspectives of Azerbaijan regarding sector-specific development of cooperation within the ECO in the fields of economy, trade, investments, energy security, environment, transport and communications, as well as future plans and projects to ensure sustainable growth and development in the ECO region in line with the ECO Vision 2025, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s message on X.

Originally established as the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) in 1964 by Iran, Pakistan, and Türkiye, the organisation was renamed the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) in 1985.

The ECO region is home to over 460 million people and spans more than 8 million square kilometres, linking the north to the south, the east to the west, Asia to Europe, and Eurasia to the Arab world. Comprising countries from the Caucasus, South, West, and Central Asia, the ECO is one of the oldest intergovernmental organisations.

The primary goal of the ECO is to foster conditions that promote sustainable economic development across the region, working towards the collective welfare and well-being of its member states.

By Naila Huseynova