Pakistan to host 30th ECO Council of Ministers meeting on Nov 15-16

The 30th gathering of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Council of Ministers is scheduled to take place in Islamabad on November 15 and 16, according to a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO). Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will preside over the meeting, which will also feature foreign ministers, delegation leaders from ECO member states, and representatives from the organization's secretariat and subsidiary bodies.

Ahead of the ministerial meeting, a session of senior ECO member states' officials will convene to evaluate the organization's activities, programs, subsidiary bodies' performance, and finalize the agenda and draft outcome documents for the ministers' review. As the current ECO chairmanship for 2026-27, Pakistan aims to promote the organization's goals under the theme "Reviving Regionalism for a Resilient ECO," emphasizing strengthening regional connectivity and integration, deepening partnerships, and fostering collective efforts for economic prosperity and sustainable development.

Pakistan's chairmanship seeks to position the ECO as a hub for regional connectivity, enhance logistics supply chains, and set the agenda for regional trade, ultimately unlocking the region's economic potential and improving the lives of people in ECO member states. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has directed relevant authorities to ensure seamless coordination and timely preparations for the ECO meeting, underscoring Pakistan's deep commitment to the regional bloc.

The last ECO summit, held in Azerbaijan's Khankendi in July 2025, was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the summit, Pakistan advocated for enhanced intra-regional trade, transport connectivity, energy cooperation, and sustainable development, reaffirming its commitment to the ECO Vision 2025.