ISLAMABAD, Nov 27: President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have called for increasing the effectiveness of ECO as a regional organization. President Musharraf reiterated Pakistan's continued commitment to the principles of the ECO Charter , to pursue its objectives and further strengthen ECO as a regional organization.

In a message on the occasion of the ECO Day - Nov 28 - the President conveyed his cordial felicitations to the ECO community.

"We rejoice at the progress of the past 12 years. However, we have yet to go a long way to realize, in full, economic integration and prosperity in the ECO region. This is a goal worth pursuing with single-minded determination," he said,

He said an important milestone in that direction is the ECO Trade Agreement (ECOTA) signed in Islamabad last year.

"Its early implementation would doubtless accelerate intra-regional trade and economic activities," he said.

President Musharraf said: "I would like to reiterate Pakistan's continued commitment to work closely with fellow member states to further strengthen ECO as a regional organization. Together shall we pursue its objectives and together realize them to the best advantage of our peoples."

In a separate message on the ECO day, Mr Aziz said: "We attach great importance to the realization of its objectives ... I am confident that with focused and sustained efforts, we can make ECO a more effective, modern organization."

He said that ECO should accelerate economic cooperation among member states and facilitate their gradual integration into the global economy.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri in his message on the ECO day said: "We have tremendous potential and must harness it for the socio-economic well being of our peoples."

"We have to continue our efforts, perhaps more actively, to fully utilize the rich material and human resources of our region. We have tremendous potential and must harness it for the socio-economic well being of our peoples."

Kasuri said "Pakistan renews its commitment to the principles of the ECO Charter as well as to its goals and objectives. We shall spare no effort towards achieving them."-APP