FM Dar Elected Chairman of ECO Council of Ministers, Reaffirms Commitment to Regional Connectivity

ISLAMABAD — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was elected chairman of the Economic Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Ministers (ECO-COM) on Friday, the Foreign Office (FO) announced, marking Pakistan’s assumption of a key leadership role in the 10-member regional bloc.

The ECO, originally founded in 1964 as the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) by Pakistan, Iran, and Turkiye, was rebranded in 1985. Its mandate is to promote sustainable economic development, regional integration, and connectivity across its member states: Pakistan, Iran, Turkiye, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Friday’s COM meeting, held virtually, saw Foreign Minister Dar underscore the organisation’s growing importance in fostering economic ties across the region. According to the FO, Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the ECO Vision 2025 and expressed the country’s intent, as the incoming chair, to work with other members to finalise the ECO Vision 2026–2035.

He stressed Pakistan’s priority to enhance multimodal transport corridors, harmonise customs frameworks, and align regional transport systems to enable smoother economic integration. Dar reiterated support for key connectivity projects, including the Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul Rail Corridor, the Eurasian Multimodal Corridor, and the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan Railway.

Referencing last month’s Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference in Islamabad, the foreign minister said Pakistan was “actively shaping regional transport cooperation in road, rail, maritime, and digital connectivity.” He also highlighted Islamabad’s liberalised visa policy, which provides easier access for tourists and businesspersons from 126 countries.

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Dar called for strengthened cooperation across a range of areas, including sustainable transport, transit trade, customs harmonisation, climate-resilient infrastructure, and counter-terrorism. Addressing the session, he said Pakistan views the ECO as an essential platform for advancing multilateral cooperation and improving regional interlinkages.

“Pakistan remains steadfast in its efforts to advance the goals of regional connectivity through integrated and efficient transport corridors,” Dar said. While acknowledging progress made in recent years, he noted that substantial untapped potential remains within the ECO region.

He outlined four key priority areas moving forward: full implementation of the Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA), development of a coordinated multimodal transport network, simplification and harmonisation of customs and border procedures through technology and capacity building, and the promotion of sustainable, climate-resilient transport systems aligned with international environmental commitments.