Former Ambassador Mushtaq Ahmed Mehr said on Saturday that Economic Co-operation Organisation (ECO) would emerge as a major regional body in future and Pakistan play major role in it. Speaking in a PTV programme, he said the organisation covered an important region with 380 million populations and huge natural resources.
He said the organisation was in its transitional stage as the region was confronting a number of issues, particularly, the situation in Afghanistan.
Once these issues are settled the organisation would emerge as a major economic power and the member states would achieve rapid progress, he said.
He said Pakistan, Turkey and Iran were the three countries in organisation which promised transit trade route between the Central Asia and rest of the world adding that on completion of the infrastructure associated with Gwadar port and return of peace in Afghanistan, Pakistan would be in the driving seat.
To a question, he said the ECO Summit meetings provided a platform to the leadership of member countries to evolve joint strategy for solution of problems in the region. Present era was of collective approach for the solution of internal as well as inter-state problems, he added.
To a question, he said in 1990 the trade volume between the ECO states was dollars 10 billion which now had enhanced to dollars 16 billion but there still existed huge potential for further expansion to which the member states particularly Pakistan was committed to explore.
He said the guarantee for expansion of trade activities between the member states was political stability in the region and the process in that regard was moving in the positive direction.
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