On the sidelines of 16th Summit, the ECO Secretary General Ambassador Khusrav Noziri met with the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan H.E. Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev on November 8, 2023 in Tashkent.
The meeting mulled over the preparations of Summit scheduled for November 9, possible review of ECO Vision-2025, problems concerning regional economic cooperation and challenges taking place due to emerging global conflicts.
The high-level interaction also discussed regional climate issues, underscoring the importance of ECO High Level Dialogue Platform on environmental cooperation, which has been recently established on the astute initiative of President Mirziyoyev. Moreover, the selection of Shakhrisabz as ECO Tourism Capital for 2024 as well as the designation of Samarkand Airport as ECO Air Hub were considered as tangible steps towards enhancing tourism and connectivity cooperation in the region. Noting the increasing role of Uzbekistan in overall activities of the Organization, the meeting emphasized the need for enhancing intra-regional trade, focusing on the early implementation of related legal frameworks and the ECO’s share to the global trade volume.
In addition, the two sides expressed their grave concerns over the continuously deteriorating humanitarian situation in Palestine due to the escalating conflict in Gaza. They urged the international community to be seriously responsive to address the crisis through genuinely mediated peace in the region.
