TEHRAN: On the concluding day of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit held in Tehran, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Pakistan and Iran to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of communications.
The signing ceremony was attended by Iran’s Minister for Roads and Urban Development, Ms Farzaneh Sadegh, and Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, who also led the Pakistani delegation in this ECO summit, said a press release received here on Tuesday.
A formal meeting was held between the two ministers, accompanied by their respective delegations in which both sides agreed to further strengthen the longstanding relations between the two neighboring countries.
Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan highlighted the deep-rooted religious, cultural and historical ties between Pakistan and Iran, stating that the shared culture, especially from Balochistan to Iran, reflects strong commonalities in daily life and traditions.
Abdul Aleem Khan welcomed the holding of the ECO summit in Tehran, expressing optimism that the platform would yield positive outcomes for the region. Iranian Minister Farzaneh Sadegh expressed readiness for all possible cooperation in Pakistan’s Communications sector and affirmed Iran’s commitment to advancing bilateral projects.
Federal Secretary for Communications and senior officials accompanied the minister during the meetings.
In addition, separate meetings were held between Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and the Ministers of Transport from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—namely Marat Karabayev (Kazakhstan), Mammetkhan Chakiyev (Turkmenistan), and Ilkhom Makhkamov (Uzbekistan). Discussions focused on enhancing mutual cooperation and exploring departmental initiatives with each respective country.
Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan emphasized that for Pakistan, the Central Asian states serve as a gateway to trade with Europe and Russia. He reiterated Pakistan’s intention to increase trade through rail and road connectivity, with several infrastructure projects already underway. He expressed confidence that the ECO summit would bring member countries closer and pave the way for deeper regional collaboration. Transport Ministers from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan expressed keen interest and pledged full support for joint initiatives while conveying warm regards and goodwill toward Pakistan.
It is noteworthy that during the two-day ECO summit, Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan led the Pakistani delegation, delivered a keynote address and attended the official dinner hosted by the Iranian Minister.
He also participated in a reception hosted by ECO Secretary General Dr Asad Majeed. Throughout the summit, the minister held meetings with fellow ministers and senior officials, culminating in key decisions and the signing of significant MoUs related to Pakistan’s Communications sector.
