On November 9, the 16th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was held in Tashkent under the slogan " Through Cooperation to Economic Stability and Development ".

The event, chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyov, was attended by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ibrahim Raisi, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Anwar ul-Haq Kakar, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov and ECO Secretary General Khusrav Noziri. 

Following the agenda, the prospects of multifaceted cooperation within the framework of ECO and its advancement to a new stage were discussed. Views were exchanged on current issues of international and regional issues.
Opening the summit, the President of Uzbekistan expressed sincere gratitude to the all guests for their participation in this important event and their significant contribution to developing mutually beneficial relations 
It was stressed that the member states of ECO are inextricably linked by a common history and religion, and share rich culture and similar values.
As the Head of our state noted the ECO region, with a population of half a billion people and occupying one-third of the world's energy resources, has great potential for the development of trade-economic, industrial, investment and innovation, and transport relations.
The sides noted the progressive dynamics of cooperation within the organization in recent years and the consistent implementation of proposals and initiatives made at the summit in Ashgabat in 2021.
In particular, systematic work is being carried out to reform and improve the efficiency of the Organization’s activities and increase its authority in the international arena. The Tashkent Declaration was adopted by the Ministers of Transport, and practical work is underway to establish a regional electricity market and a Clean Energy Centre in Baku. A high-level dialogue platform on environmental issues has been established, a network of tour operators has been formed, and the Safe Tourism Program has been approved.
The President of Uzbekistan also noted that there is a great potential that has not been used to expand comprehensive cooperation among the member states of ECO yet. For example, last year the trade among the ECO countries amounted to 85 billion dollars, which is only 8% of total foreign trade.
The years of efforts to develop a preferential trade agreement have not yielded the expected results yet. There are still many other restrictions and challenges to the formation of barrier-free trade.
In order to give a new impetus to the cooperation within the ECO framework, the President of Uzbekistan proposed to develop the conceptual document "Strategic Objectives of Economic Cooperation - 2035".
In this important document, it is necessary to focus on such main areas as stimulating mutual trade, strengthening transport and communication connectivity, enhancing industrial cooperation, ensuring energy security, combating climate change, and deepening cooperation in tourism, cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
The Head of State encouraged the adoption of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation, which will focus on facilitating trade in goods and services, preventing technical and non-tariff barriers, digitalization of customs, phytosanitary and veterinary rules, and the development of e-commerce. According to preliminary estimates, these measures will enable reaching at least a twofold growth in mutual trade by 2035.
Noting that most of the ECO member states are landlocked, the President of Uzbekistan pointed to the importance of using the full potential of transcontinental transport corridors, launching multimodal corridors along the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan route and the Trans-Afghan road.
The Leader of our country also called on other members to join the document, adopted at the meeting of the Ministers of Transports held on November 2 this year, in Tashkent on the development of the “Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan – Iran – Turkiye” Transport Corridor, and optimize mutual tariffs and fees.
It was proposed to establish ECO’s Digital Transport and Customs Office in Tashkent to widely implement and effectively coordinate these modern systems.
The President of Uzbekistan noted the importance of adopting the Program of Joint Actions to increase the flow and protection of mutual investments and deepen industrial cooperation, establishing the Interregional Industrial Exhibition and holding its first event in 2024 in Uzbekistan.
He also advocated expanding the Organization’s partnerships with the Trade and Development Bank.
The increasing importance of harmonizing national energy strategies, developing interregional energy transmission networks, and the widespread introduction of green energy technologies was pointed out as part of ensuring energy security. It was proposed to establish an ECO Council of Ministers of Energy to establish systematic cooperation in this area.
Concerning increased risks related to climate change, the Uzbek Leader emphasized the need for strengthening cooperation in the fight against climate change and environmental protection. It was proposed to hold, within the framework of the upcoming Samarkand Climate Forum in 2024, the first conference of the ECO High-Level Platform on Environmental Issues, created at the initiative of Uzbekistan.
The Leader of Uzbekistan called on representatives of member countries of the Organization to actively participate in the meeting of the Committee to review the implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, which will be held in Uzbekistan this coming week, as well as to support the Samarkand Declaration to combat sand and dust storms.
Taking into account the huge potential for cooperation in tourism and the growing popularity of cross-border destinations, it was proposed to introduce joint tourist routes and increase common tour programs under the brand -Silk Road.
The Head of state also proposed to create an Advisory Committee on Tourism at the ECO Secretariat, consisting of tourism administrations and leading experts of member countries, as well as to hold its first meeting in Shakhrisabz - declared as the tourism capital of the organization.
Noting the importance of deepening cultural and humanitarian cooperation for bringing together the peoples of the ECO member countries, the President of Uzbekistan initiated holding annual weeks of culture, art, and cinema, the establishment of youth creative festivals, and an innovative cooperation platform, and strengthening interaction in fundamental scientific areas.
In his speech, the head of state also touched upon pressing international and regional issues, particularly the Middle East and Afghanistan situation. He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, the start of peace negotiations, and the achievement of a reasonable compromise. He reiterated his firm position on supporting the right of the people of Palestine to create their independent state, confirmed by UN resolutions.
The President of Uzbekistan also urged to increase humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and address the acute social and economic problems through collective responsibility and effective mechanisms. As he noted, the active involvement of Afghanistan, which is also a member of the ECO, in the regional integration process is necessary for the region’s sustainable development.
The heads of delegations of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and ECO Secretary General Khusrav Noziri also addressed the summit.
In accordance with the agenda, the President of Uzbekistan, as Chairman of the summit, announced the winners of the Organization’s award for achievements in science. They were one representative from each country. 
Following the event, the Tashkent Communiqué was adopted.
The chairmanship of the ECO passed to Iran, and the next summit was scheduled to be held in Azerbaijan.