Tehran – The 36th meeting of the Regional Planning Council of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), with a focus on the Agriculture Working Group, was held at the organization's secretariat in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

 

The session, chaired by Hassan Momeni, Acting Director of the Office of International Affairs and Specialized Organizations at Iran's Ministry of Agriculture, brought together representatives from the Office of Scientific Communication and International Cooperation of the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) along with all relevant agricultural bodies affiliated with ECO working groups, according to the official website of the Ministry of Agriculture. 

 

During the meeting, following a review of the agenda proposed by the ECO Secretariat, representatives from member states exchanged views and held discussions on their national positions. The main focus of the session was on key issues, including the ECO Seed Association Working Group, the Center of Excellence on Water for Agricultural Use, and a biotechnology project. Member states made technical decisions on these initiatives, which will be compiled and submitted through the ECO Secretariat to member countries for final approval.

 

The Economic Cooperation Organization or ECO is a Eurasian political and economic intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1985 in Tehran by Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. It provides a platform to discuss ways to improve development and promote trade and investment opportunities. The ECO is an ad hoc organization under the United Nations Charter. The objective is to establish a single market for goods and services, much like the European Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the ECO expanded to include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in 1992.