Federal Minister for Communications, Abdul Aleem Khan, representing Pakistan on the special nomination of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, delivered Pakistan’s statement at the 5th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Commerce and Foreign Trade, convened in Istanbul after a fourteen-year interval. The meeting gathered senior officials and ministers from ECO member states to advance regional trade, connectivity, and economic integration.
In his address, Minister Abdul Aleem Khan extended appreciation to Prof. Dr. Omer Bolat, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, and Dr. Asad Majeed Khan, Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization, for their leadership in organizing this important gathering. He also commended the Government of Türkiye for its warm hospitality and the ECO Secretariat for its continued efforts to strengthen regional economic cooperation.
Highlighting ECO’s vital role in fostering economic integration, the Minister noted that despite the region’s shared geography, cultural ties, and strong economic potential, intra-regional trade remains below its true capacity. He emphasized the need for enhanced trade facilitation, improved connectivity, streamlined regulations, and stronger institutional coordination among member states to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth.
The Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to ECO’s Vision and welcomed the consensus achieved on the ECO Trade Facilitation Strategy, the ECOTA Negotiation Strategy/Roadmap, and the Istanbul Declaration, describing them as important milestones toward a more cohesive regional trade framework.
He informed the forum that the Government of Pakistan has approved two key instruments that will contribute significantly to strengthening regional cooperation. The first is the Memorandum of Understanding for Trade Promotion among ECO Member States, which aims to foster collaboration in promoting trade, exchanging market information, and developing closer business linkages. The second is the Agreement on Mutual Cooperation among the Customs Administrations of ECO Member States, which seeks to harmonize customs procedures, improve coordination among enforcement agencies, and facilitate faster and more predictable cross-border movement of goods. These measures reflect Pakistan’s strong commitment to reinforcing ECO’s trade architecture and advancing collective economic interests across the region.
