Iran will host the 28th meeting of foreign ministers from the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) next week in the city of Mashhad, according to Ismail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed that foreign ministers and senior officials from ECO member states, along with regional organization leaders and secretaries-general of several multilateral economic bodies, will attend the meeting. The session will be chaired by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Baghaei highlighted the significance of ECO as one of the oldest frameworks for regional economic cooperation among developing nations. “The organization’s primary aim is to promote regional economic development,” he said.
Iran holds the rotating presidency of ECO for 2024. This meeting marks the second high-profile gathering of foreign ministers from an international organization hosted by Iran in the past six months. In June, Iran hosted foreign ministers and senior officials from 33 member states of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue.
According to a graphic released by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at least ten countries, including Afghanistan, will participate in the upcoming meeting.
This comes as Afghan human rights activists continue to call on the international community, including neighboring countries, to prioritize human rights—particularly the rights of women and girls—in their engagements with the Taliban.
