ISLAMABAD: Business Community of Islamabad on Monday wellcome hosting of 13th Summit of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) by Islamabad to be held here from March,1.
The business community leaders expressed the hope that the conference would play an important role for pronmotion of enhanced cooperation between the member countries. “Pakistan will host the ECO summit, which have important role for enhancing the cooperation between the members countries”, Senior Vice President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Khalid Malik.
He said that ECO had provided a platform to the member states for improving development and promote trade and investment opportunities between the member states.
The member states of the organization include Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The ICCI SVP said the organization had huge potential to be emerged as new economic bloc for the benefit of the people in the region.
He said that the ECO had now been expanded and comprised 10-member states. ICCI Senior VP said that all five Central Asian States (CARs) were also the member of ECO.
“Pakistan has huge potential to enhance the trade with these countries”, he said adding the energy rich CARs would play important role by providing support in energy sector for local industries.
Khalid Malik said that Pakistan’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Iran and Turkey were also in negotiation phase, adding that ECO would be proved as remarkable forum to discuss the issues of trade and enhancing bilateral trade with these countries.
On the occasion, ICCI Former President Zafar Bukhtawri said that Pakistan would have huge trade opportunity to share with ECO countries in order to boost Pakistan’s exports.
He urged for enhancing the multilateral trade and export volumes with energy rich Central Asian States (CARs).
