Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will chair the 30th meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization Council of Ministers in Islamabad.
The two-day ministerial gathering begins on November 15, bringing together foreign ministers, delegation heads, and secretariat representatives from member states according to the Foreign Office. The main session follows a preliminary meeting of senior officials tasked with reviewing organizational programs.
🔊PR No.3️⃣2️⃣7️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ Curtain Raiser: 30th Meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Council of Foreign Ministers, Islamabad (15-16th November 2026) 🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/GVnaR9laON
Originally established in 1964 as the Regional Cooperation for Development by Pakistan, Iran, and Türkiye. The bloc was renamed in 1985. It expanded in 1992 to incorporate Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and five Central Asian republics including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The current Council of Ministers meeting follows the 17th ECO Summit held on July 3-4, 2025, in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led the national delegation. Last month, a scheduled interior ministers meeting in Islamabad was postponed.
H. E. Mr. Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, arrived in Islamabad to participate in the 30th ECO Council of Ministers Meeting. He was received at the airport by officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.#ECOCOM30… pic.twitter.com/T4Khx1jOX5
Pakistan holds the organization chairmanship for 2026–2027 and is organizing the high-level huddle under a specific banner.
“Reviving Regionalism for a Resilient ECO,” said the Foreign Office, describing the core theme guiding Islamabad leadership term.
The official agenda centers on boosting cross-border commerce, improving regional transit networks, and aligning economic policies among member nations spanning South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Officials anticipate that using Pakistan geographic position will help connect landlocked Central Asian republics to global trade routes through domestic seaports.
Ahead of the formal proceedings, international delegates have begun arriving in the capital. Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu is Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. He landed in Islamabad and was received by foreign ministry officials as reported by the Islamabad Post.
Diplomatic sources indicate that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to travel to Pakistan for the ministerial meetings noted The Express Tribune. His anticipated arrival coincides with active diplomatic engagement between Islamabad, Tehran, and Washington.
Araghchi is also expected to hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. ECO Secretary-General Dr. Asad Majeed Khan is scheduled to address the opening session alongside visiting foreign ministers.
“These efforts will contribute toward unlocking the region’s considerable economic potential and ensuring that the benefits of regional cooperation are translated into tangible improvements in the lives of the people of ECO member states,” the Foreign Office said.
