Pakistan to host 13th ECO summit

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host the 13th ECO Summit scheduled to be held on March 1 in the federal capital, the prime minister’s top foreign policy aide Sartaj Aziz announced on Saturday.

The summit will deliberate upon ways and means to augment cooperation in areas of connectivity, trade, energy, tourism, investment, industry, economic growth, productivity, social welfare and environment, he said.



Initiatives for improving education and scientific linkages, cultural and people-to-people contacts within the ECO, he told reporters.

The summit will be preceded by a meeting of senior officials on February 26-27 while the Council of Foreign Minister will meet on February 28, he said.

“This summit’s theme is ‘Connectivity for Regional Prosperity’. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor is an outstanding example of the summit’s theme of connectivity. It will augment the existing and planned transit and energy corridors in the ECO region for greater progress and prosperity of our peoples,” Aziz said.



The Islamabad Declaration would focus on the summit theme of connectivity as a dynamic concept that encompasses multiple dimensions. Pakistan last hosted the third ECO Summit in Islamabad in May 1995.

“Most member states have already confirmed participation at heads of state or heads of government level. The high-level participation of member states will greatly enhance the vitality and substance of the summit. ECO observers and special guests have also been invited,” the adviser said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2017.