A High-Level Experts Group Meeting held virtually on January 31, 2022 to discuss and finalize overall issues according to the Agenda of the 11th Ministerial Meeting on Transport, including the Draft Declaration on cooperation in Transport and Connectivity in the region, as well as finalized the draft report of the 11th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Transport. The meeting hosted by the Republic of Turkey, was attended by the Representatives from the nine ECO Member States, International Organizations, International Banks and the relevant officials of the ECO Secretariat.
The Chair of the Meeting, Mr. Aziz AKSU, Head of Department of bilateral relations, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Turkey inaugurated the meeting. While welcoming the participants, He emphasized upon the strengthening of cooperation for economic growth and socio-economic development of the region, especially through expansion of transport corridors amongst the ECO Member States.
Addressing the meeting, Deputy Secretary General of ECO Dr. Sayed Yahya Akhlaqi, appreciated the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Turkey for organizing this important event. The Deputy Secretary General stated that the “ECO Ministerial Declaration 2022” on cooperation in Transport in the region, concentrates on the issues of the expected outcomes of the ECO Vision 2025 that focus on the socio-economic development of the region, considering the transport sector as one of drivers of the region’s economic growth. He believed that this meeting and the upcoming Ministerial meeting will bring the ECO region together to work on the issues related to transport and connectivity and will contribute immensely to strengthening sustainable development among Member States.
The reviewed the implementation of the Transit Transport Framework Agreement and assessed progress in road and rail transport. Meanwhile, the participants discussed ways for maritime and civil aviation cooperation. Prior to finalizing the draft Ankara Declaration for consideration by the Ministerial Meeting, the delegates discussed alternative methods to bolster the ECO Trade and Development Bank's role in financing transportation projects and research for regional connectivity. The session finished with participants expressing their gratitude to the host country and the Secretariat for holding the event.
