ECO session discusses Azerbaijani embassy terror attack in Iran

Azerbaijan chaired the 273rd meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organisation’s (ECO) Council of Permanent Representatives on February 27.

The event was held in a hybrid format under the chairmanship of Azerbaijani Ambassador to Iran Ali Alizade. It was attended by ECO Secretary-General Khusrov Noziri and heads of the ECO member states' diplomatic missions in Tehran, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The event began with a minute's silence in memory of an Azerbaijani embassy staffer, who was killed in a terrorist attack in Iran, as well as those killed in an earthquake in Türkiye.

The meeting discussed the outcome of the 26th meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers, held in Tashkent on January 24, preparations for the 27th meeting of the Council of Ministers, to be held in Baku this year, as well as for the 16th summit to be held in Uzbekistan.

Upon Azerbaijan's initiative, a new item was added to the agenda of the meeting regarding the implementation of the ECO Chairmanship in the current year. During the discussion of this item, the Azerbaijani delegation provided information on the terrorist attack on Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Iran on January 27 this year.

Participants were also informed of the necessity of prompt identification and bringing to justice the organisers and perpetrators of the terrorist act, as well as the need for Iran to fulfil its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the importance of ensuring the protection and security of diplomatic missions. In this regard, it was stressed that Iran is also the seat of the ECO Headquarters and therefore it is important to ensure the diplomatic immunity of the ECO Secretariat and the Member States.

During the meeting, Azerbaijan stated that despite the restrictions due to the evacuation of the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, the activities planned for the Azerbaijani ECO Chairmanship in 2023 and other obligations arising from the Chairmanship would be fully secured.

In conclusion, the participants were informed about the agreed dates of the next meeting of the Council of Permanent Representatives.