ECO Summit In Pakistan Held Without Kabul Representation

The 10th meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) ministers opened on Wednesday in Islamabad, Pakistan, focusing on enhancing regional cooperation to reduce disaster risks. The two-day summit brings together ministers and senior officials from ECO member states and partnering regional and international organizations.

Taliban did not send a delegation to the meeting. Official statements from Kabul or Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority explaining the absence have not been released. Images from the event showed an empty chair with Afghanistan's flag placed in its spot.

Several media outlets aligned with Taliban authorities confirmed the country's non-participation. ECO, a regional organization, aims to foster economic, trade, cultural, and technical cooperation among its 10 member countries.

Member states expected delegations from Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan. The summit's agenda includes strategies for disaster preparedness, mitigation, and regional collaboration to respond to natural hazards effectively.

Previously, during an ECO meeting in Azerbaijan, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister of the Taliban administration, urged member countries to take positive steps toward recognizing the government in Kabul following Russia's lead. The absence in Islamabad signals potential diplomatic hesitation.

The ECO was founded in 1985 to promote regional economic integration and cooperation among member countries spanning South and Central Asia. It has increasingly focused on disaster management and environmental challenges due to the region's vulnerability to earthquakes, floods, and other hazards.

Afghanistan's political situation under the Taliban remains contentious internationally. Many regional countries have adopted cautious engagement, with limited recognition, affecting participation in multilateral forums like ECO.

As the summit proceeds, officials hope regional cooperation on disaster risk reduction will continue despite Afghanistan's non-participation, underscoring ECO's focus on collective resilience and preparedness.

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