Lahore – April 13, 2025
The 294th Meeting of the ECO Council of Permanent Representatives (CPR) was held today at the Punjab Civil Secretariat in Lahore, Pakistan. The gathering marked a significant milestone as the first CPR meeting to take place in Lahore and the second hosted outside the ECO Secretariat in Tehran.
Inaugurating the meeting, the Additional Chief Secretary of Punjab, Mr. Ahmed Raza Sarwar, warmly welcomed the delegates to the historic and culturally rich city of Lahore. The Secretary of the Tourism, Archaeology and Museums Department, Mr. Farid Ahmad Tarar, also addressed the participants, highlighting Lahore’s profound historical legacy and presenting its candidacy as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2027.
ECO Secretary General Dr. Asad M. Khan, along with other eminent participants, extended heartfelt appreciation to the Government of Punjab for its warm hospitality and the valuable opportunity to experience the rich cultural heritage of Lahore in person.
The Session brought together distinguished Permanent Representatives and delegates from ECO Member States to deliberate on a number of key issues, including among others the preparations for the upcoming 17th ECO Summit in Azerbaijan, review of the Plan of Work for implementing the Mashhad Communique, discussions on the formulation of ECO Vision 2035, the High-Level Committee (HLC) report and criteria for selecting the ECO Tourism Capital.
The context of hosting the CPR meeting in Lahore is part of Pakistan’s broader initiative to launch its campaign for declaring Lahore as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2027, an effort aimed at showcasing the city’s cultural and historical prominence to the ECO community.
