ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar arrived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to participate in the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) summit scheduled for November 8-9.
The Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Abdullah Nagmatovich Aripov, welcomed him at the Tashkent International Airport, as confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office in a post on social media.
Accompanying Kakar on this trip are Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz.
A day before the summit, the Foreign Office released a statement highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to ECO Vision 2025 and its dedication to fostering regional cooperation in various sectors such as trade, transport, connectivity, energy, tourism, and economic growth and productivity. Prime Minister Kakar is expected to present Pakistan’s vision for the organization’s future work and regional connectivity, along with engaging in bilateral discussions with Uzbekistan’s leadership and other participating leaders.
The Economic Cooperation Organisation was established in 1985 in Tehran, and Pakistan, as a founding member, has remained dedicated to the goals of fostering connectivity and mutual prosperity within the ECO region. Notably, this summit in Uzbekistan marks the first time the country has hosted the ECO summit.
Furthermore, it was mentioned that after the ECO summit, Prime Minister Kakar is scheduled to return from Tashkent on Thursday and then proceed to Saudi Arabia on Friday to participate in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s emergency conference on Palestine. The primary goal of the OIC conference is to establish humanitarian corridors in Gaza, given the high number of casualties, with over 10,000 Palestinians killed since October 7.
