The event was held at the Tehran Summit Center for the first time in 15 years and is in line with the government’s policy of developing engagement and cooperation with neighboring countries.
In addition to ministers and senior officials from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, guests will include the ECO Secretary-General, the Minister of Interior of Oman, and the Deputy Minister of Interior of Iraq. event.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking at the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)’s 4th Interior Ministers’ Meeting in Tehran, welcomed the participating delegations and said that the meeting, held after a long hiatus, was an expression of renewed determination among member states to strengthen cooperation and collaboration in key areas of common interest.
Mr. Pezeshkian emphasized that the Ministry of the Interior plays an important role not only in its field of expertise, but also in providing the essential basis for economic development: security and social stability.
He noted that it would be irrational to ignore the role of the Ministry of the Interior in multilateral economic cooperation, and that the Ministry of the Interior is critical to ensuring resilience and predictability in regional frameworks.
The President emphasized the importance of cross-border cooperation, saying that joint efforts in border control, law enforcement, and the fight against illegal migration, human trafficking, drug smuggling, terrorism and organized crime are central to achieving lasting stability and prosperity in the region.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his Cabinet and its affiliates play an important role in national and regional responses to future crises, such as natural disasters, pandemics, geopolitical changes and other security challenges.
He stressed that the ECO region now needs stronger institutional foundations than ever before. He said the organization was the result of persistent efforts by Member States towards economic integration and had made significant progress, but that there was still vast untapped capacity.
Mr. Pezeshkian welcomed the growing determination to deepen cooperation among ECO member states, noting that the recent summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, reflected this common determination. He added that the proposed ECO Vision 2035 will further chart a promising path for growth and partnership in the region.
President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that the region and its surrounding areas have long been exposed to outside interference, noting that some of the largest foreign interventions in modern history have occurred in the region.
Referring to the ongoing occupation of Gaza, he said the recent atrocities in Gaza were among the most horrific genocides and crimes against humanity in recent years.
Mr. Pezeshkian stressed that the persistent ambition of international powers to intervene in regional affairs makes it imperative for ECO member states across Central Asia, the Caucasus, South Asia, West Asia and the Persian Gulf to jointly build a coherent, stable and development-oriented regional security architecture.
MNA/6636888