Islamabad will host the 30th meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers on November 15 and 16, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Saturday. The Economic Cooperation Organization, a regional bloc of member states, will bring its foreign ministers and delegation heads together for the gathering. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will preside over the sessions.
Who will take part
The ministerial round is preceded by a meeting of senior officials from member states. That preparatory session will review the bloc's activities and programmes, assess the work of its subsidiary bodies, and settle the agenda. It will also prepare draft outcome documents for the ministers to consider when they meet.
Representatives of the ECO secretariat and its subsidiary bodies will join the foreign ministers and heads of delegation. Dar earlier last month directed the relevant authorities to ensure that coordination and preparations for the meeting were on schedule. The Foreign Office said this reflects the importance Pakistan places on the regional bloc.
Pakistan's chairmanship and goals
Pakistan holds the ECO chairmanship for 2026-27 and will work under the theme 'Reviving Regionalism for a Resilient ECO'. According to the Foreign Office, the chairmanship will concentrate on regional connectivity and integration, deeper partnerships, and joint efforts for economic prosperity and sustainable development. It also gives Pakistan a platform to strengthen the bloc's role in regional dialogue and economic collaboration.
Pakistan also wants to present itself as a regional connectivity hub and help logistics and supply chains work more smoothly. The Foreign Office said Islamabad hopes to influence the regional trade agenda in the same period. The ministry linked these aims to better everyday outcomes for people in ECO member states, although it did not set out a timeline for them.
Background and next steps
The 17th ECO Summit was held in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, on July 3-4, 2025, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif leading Pakistan's delegation. At that summit, Pakistan called for more intra-regional trade, better transport links, energy cooperation and sustainable development. It also reaffirmed its commitment to the ECO Vision 2025.
The Islamabad ministerial meeting is the next step in that process. Specific agenda items and outcomes have not yet been announced, so the concrete decisions will become clear only after the ministers meet on November 15 and 16.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Islamabad mein 15 aur 16 November ko ECO ke wazeer ijlas karenge, jis ki sadarat Ishaq Dar karenge. Pakistan is waqt is tanzeem ki chairmanship 2026-27 ke liye sambhal raha hai. Is ijlas mein tijarat, rabta aur logistics behtar karne par baat hogi. Aam logon ke liye iska asar foran nahi, lekin lambay arsay mein behtar rabta rozgar aur chezon ki supply par asar daal sakta hai.
