Azerbaijan, Pakistan agree to promote regional cooperation

KABUL (Pajhwok): Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev discussed the critical role of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) to promote regional cooperation and collective prosperity.

The two sides discussed common challenges including Islam phobia, global and regional developments including the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Afghanistan play critical role in regional connectivity projects between South and Central Asia. This included the transfer of energy, construction of roads and rail networks which will enable transfer of goods and services across the region.

During the 16^th ECO meeting, Uzbekistan also supported joining efforts to develop common approaches and provide necessary assistance to Afghanistan.

In this regard, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev put forward an initiative to consistently continue the implementation of major trade, transport and energy projects of regional significance jointly with Afghanistan in order to promote the economy of this country and support its people.

As a result of the meeting of the Ministers of Transport of the ECO Member States in December 2020, Uzbekistan’s initiative to include road and rail transport corridors “Central Asia-Afghanistan-Pakistan”, “Central Asia- Afghanistan-Iran”, “Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran” into the transport arteries of the ECO region was supported by all member countries of the organization and included in the final Declaration.

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