The Organization for Economic Cooperation resumed its work after a 14-year hiatus

The fifth meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) concluded in Istanbul on November 26, having been held from November 24 to 26. It was the first full-scale meeting of the association in 14 years. The meeting was devoted to the development of trade and economic integration and the development of new mechanisms for cooperation between countries in the region.

The forum was attended by trade ministers, their deputies, and experts from member states, led by Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat.

Kyrgyzstan was represented at the meeting by Trade Representative in Turkey Chyngyz Esengul uulu. He outlined the country's priorities in terms of trade digitalisation, expansion of electronic data exchange, harmonisation of customs standards and updating of the ECOTA regional agreement to reflect current conditions.

The forum's program included ministerial-level meetings and a high-level expert group meeting. Participants discussed measures to deepen economic integration within ECO, increase mutual trade volumes, and expand cooperation in the areas of customs administration and trade policy.

A key outcome of the summit was the signing by Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey of a Memorandum of Understanding on a trade facilitation strategy within the ECO. The document provides for the simplification of customs procedures, improved data exchange, and the introduction of digital tools to speed up trade.

In addition, the participants agreed to establish a Technical Committee for negotiations on the renewal of the ECOTA agreement. The negotiation process will start in the first quarter of 2026. A new roadmap aimed at forming a free trade area within the ECO space was also approved.