On December 3, 2024, a delegation headed by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan participated in the 28th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), held in the city of Mashhad, Islamic Republic of Iran. This is reported by the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

The meeting was attended by the heads of foreign policy agencies of ECO member states, heads of regional organizations, as well as specialized institutions, regional institutes, and structural units of the ECO.

Participants discussed a wide range of issues related to strengthening regional cooperation in trade, investment, green economy, digitalization, energy, food security, ecology, agriculture, and transport. Proposals were considered to further develop trade and economic ties, including finding new ways of economic growth in the ECO space.

During the meeting, the work program of the Council was approved, reports on the activities of the Secretariat and specialized bodies of the ECO were adopted, the budget for 2025 was approved, and the results of Iran's chairmanship in the ECO were summed up. The chairmanship in 2025 was transferred to the Republic of Kazakhstan.

At the meeting, the Turkmen delegation expressed its views on the priority areas of cooperation within the framework of the ECO and made proposals for the strategy for the development of the ECO.

In particular, the importance of developing cooperation in the field of transport and logistics, as well as in the energy sector, was noted. The acceptability of expanding industrial cooperation through the creation of production lines, using the potential of cross-border and regional trade with an emphasis on activating partnership in the field of small and medium-sized businesses was voiced. The importance of joining efforts to ensure food security, as well as combining the efforts of the ECO and the international community to develop constructive models of interstate relations was highlighted.

Following the meeting, the Mashhad Communiqué was adopted, which sets out strategic initiatives and practical steps to strengthen multifaceted regional cooperation.

In essence, this news article reports on Turkmenistan's active participation in the 28th ECO Council of Ministers meeting. The country emphasized the importance of regional cooperation in various sectors, including trade, energy, and transport, and proposed initiatives to strengthen these ties.