MNA �The�Economic Cooperation Organization at the 23rd Meeting of Council of Ministers (COM) has categorically condemned unilateral economic sanctions that hinder free trade among nations.


The 23rd Meeting of Council of Ministers (COM), as the highest policy and decision-making body of ECO, kicked off in Tajikisitan's capital Dushanbe on Tuesday, attended by foreign ministers of Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the host country.

During the meeting, the participating ministers adopted the necessary decisions for implementing the ECO agreements aimed at regional development, and consequently, the improvement of people�s livelihood in the region in a way that they would feel the concrete results of ECO economic cooperation in their daily lives.

The rotating presidency of ECO was also handed to the Islamic Republic of Iran for a three-year term from 2018 to 2020.

ECO Member States in a joint statement supported Iran�s membership to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and condemned certain extra-regional countries for throwing hurdles at this process.

The participants further condemned the unilateral economic sanctions on some countries, which hinder economic development and free trade among nations.

A number of decisions were also taken which called for more effective participation from ECO in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, including the design of a proper mechanism to make the ECO Special Support Fund more efficient for the reconstruction process.