The recently appointed ambassador of Pakistan to Iran, H.E. Ms. Riffat Masood presented her letter of credence to the Secretary General, H.E. Dr. Hadi Soleimanpour at the ECO Secretariat on August 16, 2018.
During their meeting, the ECO Secretary General, while extending warm felicitations to the visiting ambassador for assuming the ambassadorship and formation of a new government in Pakistan, stated that the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, being a founding, proactive and vocal member of the organization, holds a very prominent position in the ECO’s affairs. Dr. Soleimanpour lauded Pakistan’s receptiveness for hosting several important events, including the 13th ECO Summit and the 28th Meeting of the ECO Regional Planning Council (RPC) in 2017. He also expressed his sincere gratitude to the ambassador for the excellent contributions made by Pakistan during its ECO’s chairmanship.
The two sides took into account the implementation process of the ECO trade Agreement (ECOTA) and the positions of the Member States on the agreement signed on July 17, 2003 at Islamabad. They also discussed the Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA), which seeks to provide access to land-locked member countries in the ECO region. Dr. Soleimanpour underlined that the agreement witnessed a wave of pleasure and enthusiasm amongst member states in view of its character to increase interconnectedness and facilitating access to major sea ports of the region.
The Secretary General emphasized on the significance of regional cooperation among member and neighboring states to boost the national and regional economic growth and development, adding that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) could serve as a model for future cooperation within and outside the ECO region.
Ambassador Masood underlined that the ECO is well-poised to handle the challenges and avail future opportunities prevailing in the region, assuring the Secretary General of Pakistan’s full support to secure organization’s aims and objectives. Ambassador Masood, who holds considerable experience of working with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris (1998-2001) and the relevant expertise in both multilateral and bilateral diplomacy, also mentioned the importance of multilateralism in the economic development. Besides, she served as Staff Officer to Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (late) and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (1994-1998), respectively.
