Islamabad – 23 October 2025
The Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Dr. Asad M. Khan participated in Panel on Border Infrastructure, Trade Facilitation and Smart Corridors at the Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference (RTMC 2025) in Islamabad, underscoring the need to modernize border infrastructure, digitalize customs processes, and strengthen cooperation to achieve seamless regional connectivity.
Focused on the future of border infrastructure and trade facilitation, the panel brought together ministers, policymakers, and development partners to discuss practical steps toward building smarter, more efficient transport corridors across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
The Secretary General noted that the ECO region’s strategic location—linking Asia, the Middle East, and Europe—offers immense potential to become a bridge between continents. With seven of its ten member states being landlocked, he emphasized that both hard and soft infrastructure development are essential for economic integration and shared growth and shared the vision of the ECO in this connection.
The Secretary General further highlighted the importance of the ECO–IRU Action Plan, which envisions the implementation of eTIR as well as TIR-EPD systems at key border points. He also stressed the significance of implementing the ECO Trade Facilitation Strategy, which promotes harmonized customs procedures.
