Iran to host 28th ECO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Mashhad next week

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the 28th meeting of foreign ministers from member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) will be held next week in Mashhad.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei stated that senior officials and foreign ministers from ECO member countries, along with directors of regional specialized organizations and secretaries-general of several multilateral economic organizations, will participate in the meeting.

Afghanistan is a member of ECO, but since the rise of the Taliban administration, ECO meetings have been held without the presence of Afghanistan’s representatives.

Iran holds the rotating presidency of the ECO for the year 2024.

The spokesperson noted that the ECO foreign ministers’ meeting will be the second ministerial-level gathering of an international organization hosted by the Islamic Republic of Iran in the past six months.

However, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not clarified whether the current regime of Afghanistan will participate in the Mashhad meeting. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban has also not yet commented on its stance regarding the meeting.

The upcoming ECO meeting underscores Iran’s role in fostering regional economic collaboration amidst shifting geopolitical dynamics. The absence of Afghanistan’s representatives highlights the ongoing challenges of international recognition for the Taliban-led government.

As ECO member states focus on economic cooperation, Afghanistan’s exclusion may limit discussions on pressing regional issues, including connectivity and trade, which are vital for Afghanistan’s integration into the broader regional framework.

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