ID :
98255
Tue, 01/05/2010 - 13:19
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http://m.oananews.org//node/98255
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Iran : ECO should turn to regional bloc
Tehran, Jan 4, IRNA -- Visiting Secretary-General of the Economic Cooperation Organization Mohammed Yahya Maroofi conferred on Monday with Iran’s Commerce Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari on ways to expand mutual and regional cooperation.
ECO should turn into a regional bloc in order to play strategic role in regional trade, said Ghazanfari.
“Much to our regret, ECO failed to play such leading role for economic cooperation at regional level,” he said.
ECO was established by Iran-Pakistan-Turkey in the year 1962 to promote economic cooperation among regional nations.
Following the collapse of the former Soviet Union, countries such as Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan joined ECO.
ECO with 10 active members cover some 400 million people in the region and have wide access to huge oil, gas resources as well as industries.
Iran believes that ECO should attain high profile goals while remained committed to all its pledges, said the Iranian minister.
He told the ECO secretary general that ECO is expected to prepare grounds for enhanced trade and economic cooperation in the region.
ECO secretary general, for his part, said the organization has played its leading role in expansion of economic cooperation among countries in the region.
ECO member states should make preparations to set up a free market by the end of 2015, he said.
The secretary-general said that to attain the goal it is vital for the member states to draw up tariffs in conformity with Economic Cooperation Organization Trade Agreement (ECOTA) which will pave the way to join the World Trade Organization.
"Volume of trade between ECO members stood over dlrs 400 billion which should be increased in line with potentials of the countries in the region."
The secretary general said that ECO members should take advantage of Iran’s invaluable experiences in banking system and establish ECO Bank to promote and ease trade among themselves./end
ECO should turn into a regional bloc in order to play strategic role in regional trade, said Ghazanfari.
“Much to our regret, ECO failed to play such leading role for economic cooperation at regional level,” he said.
ECO was established by Iran-Pakistan-Turkey in the year 1962 to promote economic cooperation among regional nations.
Following the collapse of the former Soviet Union, countries such as Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan joined ECO.
ECO with 10 active members cover some 400 million people in the region and have wide access to huge oil, gas resources as well as industries.
Iran believes that ECO should attain high profile goals while remained committed to all its pledges, said the Iranian minister.
He told the ECO secretary general that ECO is expected to prepare grounds for enhanced trade and economic cooperation in the region.
ECO secretary general, for his part, said the organization has played its leading role in expansion of economic cooperation among countries in the region.
ECO member states should make preparations to set up a free market by the end of 2015, he said.
The secretary-general said that to attain the goal it is vital for the member states to draw up tariffs in conformity with Economic Cooperation Organization Trade Agreement (ECOTA) which will pave the way to join the World Trade Organization.
"Volume of trade between ECO members stood over dlrs 400 billion which should be increased in line with potentials of the countries in the region."
The secretary general said that ECO members should take advantage of Iran’s invaluable experiences in banking system and establish ECO Bank to promote and ease trade among themselves./end
