Tehran, Dec 4: The 28th Meeting of the Council of Ministers (COM) of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was held in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, with a focus on expanding cooperation among regional countries.

Under the theme of Year of Enhanced and Resilient ECO Region through Expansion of Intra-Regional Trade, foreign ministers and deputy foreign ministers from ECO countries "discussed critical regional priorities, particularly trade, energy, transportation, and environmental sustainability, with a shared commitment to strengthening regional integration and sustainable economic growth," said an ECO statement on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the COM adopted the Mashhad Communique, "a pivotal outcome document that sets strategic directions for ECO's activities, reinforcing cooperation among the member states," reports Xinhua news agency, citing the ECO statement. The council also emphasised ECO's expanding global engagement, commending efforts to strengthen partnerships with international and regional organisations, including enhanced collaboration with United Nations agencies and other multi-lateral platforms.

"These relationships were recognised as pivotal to advancing ECO's objectives and increasing its international visibility," noted the statement. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who chaired the meeting, said ECO had increasingly proved that it was among the "most relevant regional and multilateral platforms for its members to cooperate," according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

He called on the member states to "firmly push for the full realisation of their untapped potential," noting that the ECO region could become one of the most "vibrant" emerging regions within the Global South. ECO is an Eurasian political and economic intergovernmental organisation that was founded in Tehran in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. It provides a platform to discuss ways to improve development and promote trade and investment opportunities.

Its members now include Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.