On February 17, 2025, the ECO Secretariat held an online meeting with the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan to discuss sustainable development initiatives in the ECO region. The meeting focused on advancing regional cooperation and accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

During the meeting, Turkmenistan announced its commitment to host the 1st ECO Forum on Sustainable Development on April 28-29, 2025, in Smart City Arkadag. The ECO Secretariat expressed its deep appreciation to the Government of Turkmenistan for its leadership and support in organizing this pivotal event, which aims to strengthen regional collaboration and foster innovative solutions for achieving the SDGs.

The upcoming Forum marks a significant step in fostering regional partnerships and advancing the SDGs in the ECO region and it will address key challenges to advance the 2030 Agenda in the ECO region such as enhance policy coherence, climate change and promote innovative strategies. It also will review the SDG Performance Index Report for ECO Region and discuss the draft Action Plan for Enhancing Policy Coherence, providing a platform to advance sustainable development solutions.

In conclusion, the ECO Secretariat and the Government of Turkmenistan committed to ensuring its success by bringing together key stakeholders to drive transformative action and sustainable development.