Trade, connectivity among ECO states pivotal for regional prosperity: President
Trade, connectivity among ECO states pivotal for regional prosperity
ISLAMABAD, (June 1, 2021)): President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday stressed greater trade and connectivity among the countries of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) to attain the goals of cohesive regional development and prosperity.
Addressing here at the inaugural session of Second Conference of Parliamentary Assembly of the Economic Cooperation Organization (PAECO) countries, the president said economic integration among regional states could act as an effective driver to foster sustainable peace and security.
The conference gathered speakers and representatives of the national parliaments of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The president emphasized proper tapping of the region’s immense resources by ECO countries to nurture alliances for a win-win economic stability.
“Your voice will be only heard at global platform if you are economically strong and stable,” he said, stressing upon the need for a viable regional integration through open trade market for sustainable development and poverty alleviation.
Dr Alvi said the ECO region, with its eight million square kilometre land mass and 500 million people, comprised six percent of the world population and had the potential to become economic power through institutionalized trade policy reforms.
In today’s world, he said, where morality was becoming irrelevant next to the oppressor’s own whims and wishes, a strong leadership and approach promoting the ethos of humanity was direly needed.
He also pointed that labeling the freedom movement of Palestinians and Kashmiris as terrorism by Israel and India was another approach of seeing them through the prism of prejudice.
