The ceremony for revival of the ECO Park was held in Tehran on 9 June 2021. The ceremony, co-hosted by ECO Cultural Institute and Abbas Abad Cultural and Tourism Zone, was attended by the ECO Secretary General, H.E. Dr. Hadi Soleimanpour, accompanied by the Deputies Secretary General Dr. Huseyin Avni Bicakli and Dr. Sayed Yahia Akhlaki with the participation of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, H.E. Dr. Rasoul Mohajer; the; and the ambassadors and representatives of the ECO Member States.
The ECO Park, a symbol of common regional cultural heritage and friendship among the member countries of the ECO, was inaugurated in 2013 on occasion of 21st Meeting of the Council of Ministers (COM) of the Organization. Comprising of an area of 27,000 square meters, the Park is part of a vast cultural center located in the beautiful Abbas Abad Hills, a large north-central neighborhood of Tehran, Iran.
While mentioning the background of establishment of ECO Park in 2013, the Secretary General of the ECO, H.E. Dr. Hadi Soleimanpour, enlightened the participants of the ceremony about the primary inspiration for launching the project of ECO Park. The ECO Secretary General stated that the Park was established to preserve and promote the precious common culture and heritage of the ECO countries by organizing cultural activities and exhibitions in an excellent and natural environment. Referring to the underutilization of the ECO Park in the past, he pointed out lack of required infrastructure and facilities at the site as the foremost obstacle towards realization of aims and objectives of the Park.
The ECO Secretary General expressed his gratitude to President of the ECO Cultural Institute, H.E. Sarvar Bakhti the Tehran Municipality for initiating recent collaborations among all the stakeholders in order to revitalize the ECO’s endeavor for renovation of the ECO Park. He stated conclusion of MoU between the Abbas Azad Land Renovation Organization and ECO Cultural Institute will pave the way to use the potential of the ECO Park for further strengthening the ties of the ECO States through cultural exchanges. Dr. Soleimanpour also provided his vision on the development and utilization of the Park for promoting regional rich culture and preserving magnificent civilization heritage.
Later at the event, the MoU was signed between the Abbas Azad Land Renovation Organization and ECO Cultural Institute for revival of the ECO Park.