ISLAMABAD: Foreign delegates arrived in Islamabad on Sunday as Pakistan hosts a two-day Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in the capital to boost regional connectivity and bolster trade partnerships with regional countries, state media reported.

Originally formed by Iran, Türkiye and Pakistan as the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) in 1964, the organization was renamed as ECO in 1985. In the 1990s, ECO expanded to include countries such as Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as its members.

ECO aims to create conducive conditions to promote sustainable economic development in the region, aiming to strengthen joint welfare and wellbeing of member states.

The 30th meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers is being chaired by Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. It is being attended by foreign ministers and heads of delegations of ECO member states, representatives of the ECO Secretariat and its subsidiary bodies.

“The delegates from member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization continue to arrive in Islamabad to participate in the 30th ECO Council of Ministers Meeting,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.

The delegates who arrived included Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Deputy Secretary General Ahmad Saidmurodzoda, OIC Secretary General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and Türkiye Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Musa Kulaklikaya.

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Elnur Mammadov and his counterpart from Kazakhstan Arman Issagaliyev, along with their delegations, also arrived in the Pakistani capital.

A day earlier, Pakistan’s foreign office said the country will focus on strengthening regional connectivity and deepening regional integration as ECO chair.

The summit will also provide an opportunity to reinvigorate the ECO’s role as an effective platform for regional cooperation, dialogue, and economic collaboration, it added.

Islamabad’s chairmanship of the inter-government alliance offers a chance to position Pakistan as a regional connectivity hub, facilitator of logistic supply chains and an agenda setter for regional trade.

“These efforts will contribute toward unlocking the region’s considerable economic potential and ensuring that the benefits of regional cooperation are translated into tangible improvements in the lives of the people of ECO member states,” the foreign office said on Saturday.

Separately, Dar hosted a welcome dinner for the delegates ahead of the meeting, the foreign ministry said. The foreign minister highlighted the close bonds among ECO member states, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and advancing shared aspirations for peace, progress and prosperity.

He separately met the secretary general of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Ambassador Sultan Hajjiyev on the sidelines of the summit.

Dar reiterated Pakistan’s support for CICA and its efforts to promote peace, security and stability in Asia through dialogue and confidence-building measures, the foreign office said.

“The secretary-general appreciated Pakistan’s efforts and constructive role in promoting dialogue and de-escalation,” the foreign office said.

Pakistan has been working to strengthen its position as a key trade and transit hub, connecting landlocked Central Asian states to the global market through its strategic location. The year 2024 saw a surge in visits, investment discussions and economic activity between Pakistan and Central Asian nations as well as Gulf countries for that purpose.