ECO SUMMIT ENDED AMIDST WORLD’S INDIFFERENCE
ISTANBUL 14 Oct. (IPS) Leaders of the 10 members Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) agreed on the establishment of a fund aimed at contributing to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and broaden regional co-operation and participation in the reconstruction of the war shattered Afghanistan.
A final communiqué issued Monday at the conclusion of the one-day meeting in the Turkish city of Istanbul, presidents of Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan stressed ECO's participation in the reconstruction of Afghanistan "based on the priorities given by the Afghan government and extension of sustained aid under the framework of ECO".
The meeting started and ended amidst world’s total indifference.
Addressing the Summit, Afghanistan’s interim Prime Minister Hamed Karzai urged other members to help Afghanistan rebuild its war-devastated economy and called on tem to take part in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline multi-billion project.
"According to the declaration, ECO member states have called for materialisation of the agreements signed on trade, investment, transportation, telecommunication, energy, environment, agriculture, industry and anti-drug campaign", the Iranian news agency IRNA quoted ECO’s Secretary General, Mojtaba Arastou.
The Istanbul declaration added, "Given that a decade has passed since new members joined ECO, its working programs should be revised on the basis of the available potentials, facilities and resources".
"Heads of ECO member states attending the Istanbul summit announced their agreement to hold an international seminar to draw up the development strategy of Afghanistan's reconstruction", the communiqué underlined.
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who, as the new roving Chairman of the Organisation, opened the summit, called on ECO members to offer concrete help towards reconstruction in Afghanistan, another ECO member.
Formed in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey on the grave of Regional Cooperation for Development, ECO accepted the six newly independent Muslim nation of Central Asia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
However, despite a combined population of more than 300 million and important energy resources, the Organisation has not been able to achieve any substantial project benefiting its members.
From the outset, ECO, as when it was RCD, was a lame organisation, due to rivalries between its original founders, meaning Tehran, Ankara and Islamabad, observers and economists pointed out.
In his opening address, President Mohammad Khatami of Iran, who finished his term as the roving Chairman of the ECO also called on the Organisation to help strengthen peace and security in Afghanistan and expedite Afghan reconstruction.
He said that ECO is expected to come to the assistance of the Afghan people under the current critical situation and announced that ECO ministerial council has set up a fund to finance Afghan reconstruction
"Any step toward development is also a step to establish peace, and that any step toward peace will in turn open a new door onto development", he added.
Mr. Khatami was the only participant to condemned American plans to attack Iraq, reminding that his country is opposed to any unilateral operation aimed at toppling the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hoseyn, urging other members of ECO to join Iran in containing Washington’s military adventurism.
Pakistan’s strongman General Parviz Mosharraf, for his part, highlighted the importance of peace and security in the region and expressed his country's readiness to expand bilateral ties as well as implement an economic project to lay the pipelines transferring the Iranian gas to India through Pakistan. ENDS ECO SUMMIT 141002