Tehran – 21 May, 2025
The Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Dr. Asad M. Khan, met with Dr. Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh, Honorable Minister of Agricultural Jihad of the Islamic Republic of Iran, for a high-level dialogue focused on enhancing regional collaboration in the fields of agriculture and food security.
In the meeting, both sides emphasized the need to finalize existing frameworks and operationalize pending cooperation mechanisms, particularly in areas such as veterinary services, seed systems and agricultural biotechnology. They also underlined the importance of coordinated action among ECO Member States in addressing shared challenges, including environmental degradation, climate change and water scarcity, while reaffirming their commitment to multilateralism and regional integration.
Both parties acknowledged the significant potential for expanded cooperation and private sector participation, and noted that the cultural, climatic, and geographic commonalities among Member States provide a strong foundation for sustained collaboration.
Within this perspective, this year Iran will host the 8th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and the accompanying 7th High-Level Experts Meeting later this year. At the end of the meeting, the two dignitaries held a joint press briefing to highlight the outcomes of their discussions and reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing regional cooperation in agriculture and food systems.
