By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan will host the 30th meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad on November 15-16, bringing together foreign ministers and senior representatives from member states to discuss regional connectivity, economic integration and cooperation.

The meeting will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Foreign ministers and heads of delegations from ECO member states, along with representatives of the organization's secretariat and subsidiary bodies, are expected to attend.

The ministerial meeting will be preceded by a gathering of senior officials from member states, who will review the organization's activities and programmes, assess the work of its subsidiary bodies and finalize the agenda and draft outcome documents for consideration by ministers.

Pakistan will lead the ECO during 2026-2027 under the theme "Reviving Regionalism for a Resilient ECO", focusing on strengthening regional connectivity, deepening economic integration and expanding partnerships among member states.

Islamabad said its chairmanship would seek to promote collective efforts towards greater prosperity, sustainable development and a more integrated and resilient regional economy.

The government also aims to use its leadership of the organization to position Pakistan as a regional connectivity hub, facilitate logistics and supply chains, and help shape the agenda for regional trade.

The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for member states to discuss ways to unlock the region's economic potential through improved transport links, trade cooperation and closer economic partnerships.

Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, foreign minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, arrived in Islamabad on Saturday to participate in the meeting. He was received at the airport by Pakistani Foreign Ministry officials.

The ECO, established in 1985, is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising 10 member states: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The organization aims to promote economic development, trade, investment and regional cooperation among its members, whose combined geography connects South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Türkiye.

Pakistan's chairmanship comes as Islamabad seeks to strengthen its economic and strategic engagement with Central Asian countries and expand regional trade and transit connectivity.

The Islamabad meeting will also be an opportunity for member states to reaffirm their commitment to regional cooperation amid economic and geopolitical challenges affecting the wider region.