Remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar at the Informal Meeting of ECO Council of Ministers Meeting in New York

Excellencies,
Honourable Foreign Ministers,
Mr. Secretary General,

Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Pakistan is honoured to assume the Chairmanship of the ECO Council of Ministers for 2026–2027. We deeply appreciate the confidence reposed in Pakistan by Member States. Guided by our theme, “Reviving Regionalism for a Resilient ECO,” we will work to advance ECO’s long-term vision and deliver tangible outcomes for the people of our region.

2. I wish to begin by expressing deep concern over the prevailing security situation in our region and the Middle East. Pakistan remains firmly committed to the peaceful, negotiated resolution of disputes in accordance with international law. With sincerity and dedication, our leadership has engaged closely with brotherly countries and partners to facilitate peaceful outcomes. These efforts have yielded tangible progress, which we must now consolidate and preserve. Pakistan remains determined to stay constructively engaged in this endeavor. As ECO Member States, we must harness our collective strength to promote peace, resilience, solidarity, and shared prosperity for nearly half a billion people.

Excellencies,

3. Our region stands at a critical juncture, facing significant challenges alongside unprecedented opportunities. Climate change is placing growing pressure on our water and food security, while emerging connectivity corridors offer new prospects for linking Central and South Asia and unlocking our region’s economic potential.

4. To respond effectively, ECO requires stronger political commitment and institutional reforms. We should review and streamline the ECO Secretariat and Affiliated institutions, ensuring that their mandates and structures remain responsive to evolving geopolitical and economic realities.

5. Our shared objective must be to transform ECO region into a more integrated, dynamic and competitive region within the Global South. This requires moving decisively from dialogue to delivery. “Reviving Regionalism for a Resilient ECO” is, therefore, both our theme and our commitment to revitalizing regional cooperation and strengthening our collective capacity to withstand geopolitical, economic and environmental challenges.

6. Pakistan, as Chair, will focus particularly on the following priorities.

First, trade and economic integration. Despite comprising some 8 million square kilometres and nearly half a billion people, the ECO region accounts for only around 2.2% of global trade. Intra-regional trade remains approximately 8% of total regional trade. These figures underscore the considerable untapped potential. We should draw on the experience of successful regional organizations and work collectively to deepen economic integration.

Second, connectivity and transit. Strengthening transport networks, harmonizing customs procedures and improving transit systems must remain central to our agenda. We should accelerate the operationalization of key corridors linking Central Asia with the ports of the Arabian Sea. Pakistan stands ready to serve as a gateway for the region, leveraging its strategic location and liberalized visa regime to facilitate the movement of people and goods.

Third, trade facilitation. The ECO Trade Agreement remains an important instrument for regional economic integration. We should build on the roadmap adopted by ECO Trade Ministers in November 2025 and move towards a functional and digitally enabled ECO Free Trade Area that expands market access, supports businesses, and promotes innovation.

Fourth, climate resilience. Climate change poses a serious and growing threat to our region’s water security, agriculture, and livelihoods. We must strengthen cooperation on disaster risk reduction, climate-resilient infrastructure, as well as sustainable energy and adaptation.

Excellencies,

7. I am confident that this Informal Council of Ministers Meeting will provide fresh impetus to our regional agenda. It will also help translate our common aspirations into practical outcomes.

8. As we prepare for the 30th Meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers in Islamabad this November, Pakistan looks forward to working closely with all Member States and the ECO Secretariat. We are alsoadvancing the Strategic Goals of Economic Cooperation 2026–2035, which will provide an ambitious yet practical framework for our cooperation over the coming decade.

9. I appreciate Secretary General Dr. Asad Majeed Khan and the ECO Secretariat for their dedicated efforts in advancing the Organization’s agenda.

10. Pakistan regards ECO as a vital platform for regional cooperation and a cornerstone of our shared aspirations in Asia. Our task now is to translate our collective potential into greater connectivity, deeper economic integration, and shared prosperity.

11. Together, let us revive regionalism, strengthen resilience, and build a more integrated and prosperous ECO region for nearly half a billion people.

12. Excellencies, I would like to emphasize the importance of peace and stability to our efforts for common prosperity and development of the region. Regrettably, the issue of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil undermines these efforts.

13. Pakistan has always desired a peaceful, prosperous, and stable Afghanistan that is fully integrated into the region and is at peace with itself and its neighbors. This aligns with our foreign policy goals of peace, development, and regional integration.

14. To this end, Pakistan pursued and advocated for constructive engagement with the Taliban Regime. Pakistan extended bilateral and transit trade concessions to Afghanistan and pursued signing of the Framework Agreement for Feasibility Study on Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway project as a key priority, among other initiatives.

15. Pakistan’s only expectation was for the Taliban Regime to address our legitimate security concerns. We hoped for concrete and verifiable actions against TTP, BLA, and their affiliates, who continue to threaten Pakistan’s sovereignty and the lives of its citizens.

16. We believe that peace and development in the region can only be achieved with the elimination of the terrorist threat from Afghanistan.

New York
26 September 2026

265/2026