(MENAFN) An expert meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) began on Monday in Mashhad, Iran’s northeastern city. This meeting will be followed by a foreign ministerial session the next day. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to chair the Tuesday meeting, where he and his counterparts from other ECO member countries will discuss strategies to boost economic cooperation within the region.

ECO’s newly appointed Secretary General, Asad Majeed Khan, is also in Iran for the meetings. In an exclusive interview with the Iran Chamber of Commerce newsroom last week, Khan outlined his primary goal to enhance trade, transportation, and tourism integration across the ECO region. He highlighted the critical role of Iran, as the host nation, in facilitating these initiatives.

Khan stressed the importance of improving the economic ties among ECO member states, noting that Iran, with its strategic position, has a unique opportunity to lead efforts in driving economic collaboration within the region. During a meeting with Samad Hassanzadeh, the Head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA), Khan expressed concerns over the current volume of trade between ECO countries, which stands at just USD1.8 billion annually, a mere fraction of global trade. This figure underscores the need for more intensive efforts to boost intra-ECO trade.

The upcoming discussions are expected to focus on identifying key areas for cooperation and developing initiatives to strengthen the economic bonds among the ECO members, particularly in trade and infrastructure sectors.

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