The First Meeting of the Technical Negotiation Committee (TNC) for the ECO Trade Agreement (ECOTA) was convened on 15 April 2026 in virtual format.
The meeting was inaugurated and chaired by Dr. Behzad Saberi Ansari, Deputy Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization. In his opening remarks, Mr. Saberi underscored the urgent need to transform ECOTA into a functional and dynamic instrument for advancing regional economic cooperation.
Delegations from three ECOTA contracting parties — the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the Republic of Türkiye — participated actively in the meeting. The TNC reviewed, discussed, and finally adopted its Terms of Reference.
The meeting expressed its gratitude to the ECO Secretariat for preparing the draft documents, convening this important event and facilitating the process.
The TNC is established upon approval by 5th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Commerce and Foreign Trade held on November 26, 2025 in Istanbul, and shall function as the main technical negotiating body responsible for the revision and amendment of the ECO Trade Agreement (ECOTA), with a view to enhancing intra-regional trade, aligning the Agreement with contemporary trade practices, and facilitating broader participation of ECO Member States.
