Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, H.E. Mr. Mevlأ¼t أ‡avuإںoؤںlu and ECO Secretary General H.E. Dr. Hadi Soleimanpour held a press conference following the 24th Council of Ministers Meetings of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) held in Antalya on 9 November 2019.
H.E. Mr. Mevlüt Çavuإںoؤںlu, in his remarks, pointed out that Turkey will assume the chairmanship of the organization in the next year and emphasized that the Organization is an important regional platform to increase the economics and cultural ties among its members. In this regard, he also highlighted that in the coming period one of the main priority of Turkey as the chairman will be to transform the organization into a result and project oriented-organization. He also expressed that as a founding member and the Chair of the Organization, they will continue to support the activities of the ECO which aims at increasing cooperation and well-being in ECO region.
ECO Secretary General, in return, while expressing his gratitude to the Republic of Turkey for the organization of the meeting and congratulating the member for the chairmanship, briefed the press on the significant conclusions of the Meeting specifically underlining the headway on the institutional reform of the organization and importance of increasing intra-regional trade.
In reply to a question on Turkey's role within the Organization in the coming period, the Secretary General responded that as a founding member alongside Iran and Pakistan, and as one of the strongest economies of the region the Republic of Turkey can in line with its New Asia Initiative continue to prioratize the development of the Organization.
