-Says trade, connectivity among ECO states pivotal for regional prosperity
-Addresses 2nd Conference of PAECO
-NA Speaker calls for regional development through collective efforts
By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday stressed greater trade and connectivity among the countries of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) to attain the goals of cohesive regional stability, development, and prosperity.
Addressing here at the inaugural session of Second Conference of Parliamentary Assembly of the Economic Cooperation Organization (PAECO) countries, the president said economic integration among regional states could act as an effective driver to foster sustainable peace and security. The conference gathered speakers and representatives of the national parliaments of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The president emphasized proper tapping of the region’s immense resources by ECO countries to nurture alliances for a win-win economic stability. “Your voice will be only heard at global platform if you are economically strong and stable,” he said, stressing upon the need for a viable regional integration through open trade market for sustainable development and poverty alleviation.
Dr Alvi said the ECO region, with its eight million square kilometre land mass and 500 million people, comprised six percent of the world population and had the potential to become economic power through institutionalized trade policy reforms. Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser said Pakistan believed in the parliamentary partnership among ECO states to ensure socio-economic development. Bound by the bonds of religion, culture and history, he said, it was imperative upon the ECO countries to play a positive role in the comity of nations.
He said economic connectivity in the region was significant to deal with the challenges of terrorism, amidst the risk posed by the non-state actors as enemy of prosperity. He proposed ECO investment agency, establishment of inter-regional linkages and promotion of knowledge-based economies. The speakers of the ECO member countries, present on the occasion and highlighted different aspects of their mutual cooperation by overcoming regional issues, promoting harmony, safeguarding political liberties and strengthening parliamentary linkages.
ECO Secretary General Dr Hadi Soleimanpour in his virtual address favoured a strong regional financial system, and establishment of banks and regional payment system to support the trade activities in the ECO region. He said creation of networks for regional tourism and supporting annual budget of ECO could help ensure realization of the dreams of development and prosperity.
Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga of Afghanistan Mir Rahman Rahmani said the goal of prosperity and development could not be achieved until all regional countries pursued the agenda of common development.
