Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov attended the meeting of the ECO Foreign Ministers at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.

Axar.az reports citing press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Elmar Mammadyarov said that Azerbaijan, which participates in regional and interregional initiatives, has always supported various economic cooperation efforts in the region and beyond, and the importance of trade and cooperation within the ECO. he said. The Minister said that the organization should give priority to concrete and result-oriented projects, noting trade, transport, agriculture, information and communication technologies and tourism as priority areas.

Noting the landlocked country, the Minister informed the participants of the transit and trade potential of the country, efforts to modernize and diversify the transport infrastructure of our country, the projects being implemented, the Minister said. The importance of expanding cooperation in the agricultural sector was highlighted and the 6th meeting of the ECO Agriculture Ministers was held in October this year in Baku. The field of information and communication technologies has been highlighted as a potential area for cooperation by ECO countries.

The minister cited the ECO Vision 2025 document, which was adopted in 2017, noting that Azerbaijan supports the reform process that will provide opportunities for further development of ECO and enhance the effectiveness of its institutions.

At the end of his speech, Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said that the historical ties between the ECO member states are highly appreciated by Azerbaijan and the importance of developing these relations on the basis of solidarity. The Minister stressed that the development of regional economic cooperation is impossible without elimination of political and military threats, including military occupation and illegal activities in these areas. In this regard, it was noted that the provisions of the 2017 Islamabad Summit Declaration should be taken into account in the national and regional activities of the Member States.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also attended the meeting.