ITAR-TASS
October 13

Representatives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan gathered for a ministerial meeting in Istanbul on Saturday to discuss regional cooperation.

The foreign ministers met in Ankara as part of a session of the Economic Cooperation Organisation.

Opening the session, Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Guerel said he praised the activity of regional organisations, in particular the ECO, because they allow independent developing states to counteract globalisation and defend their interests. Having made the process of globalisation evolve in a positive way, developing countries will be able to ensure just social conditions for their peoples, the minister pointed out.

The meeting is being held ahead of the ECO summit to be held in Istanbul on October 14-15.

The ECO was created by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey in January 1985. In 1992 Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan join the ECO. Afghanistan is also expected to enter the organisation.

Its purpose is to facilitate economic cooperation, develop mutual trade and strengthen cultural and spiritual relations between the member-countries.

Speaking at the session, Kazakh Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Tokayev said it will not become "the organisation of which its member-states can be proud".

He noted that economic and political heterogeneity of ECO member-states is a serious obstacle to step up its activity. The states should work out multilateral approaches towards solving different problems in order to make the ECO activity dynamic, the minister said.

Tokayev urged the ECO states to change decision-making on the basis of consensus. He believes that the formula "consensus minus two votes" or "consensus minus one vote" may play a progressive role and give an impetus to the activity of the organisation.

The minister said the ECO should rivet attention to priority sectors of cooperation - transport, communications, transport and agriculture. Unfortunately, inter-regional trade reduced and ECO countries fail to solve the tariff problem. Kazakhstan proposes the ECO to coordinate the tariff policy, cancel qualitative restrictions, introduce a symmetrical system of levying the VIT and excises, as well to remove barriers in goods transit made on the territory of ECO states, the minister said.

Tokayev stressed that Kazakhstan intends to take an active part in carrying out an international programme of aid to Afghanistan.

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