ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Sunday highlighted the need to create a world-class logistics infrastructure within the Economic Coordination Organisation (ECO) region for speedy movement of goods and people at a reduced cost that would stimulate investment and growth.

Addressing the Senior Officials Meetings, he said Pakistan had always attached immense importance to the organisation and its objective as demonstrated by the country’s active role in the ECO.

Mr Ahmad said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a major initiative that would help achieve the core objectives of the ECO. This is a mega project which would benefit the entire region. The CPEC is anticipated as a game-changer not only in Pakistan-China context, but it would also complement the economies of the entire neighbourhood, especially the ECO region.

Foreign secretary stresses the need for world-class logistics infrastructure within ECO region

He said the 13th ECO summit had adopted the topical theme of “Connectivity for Regional Prosperity” as its key focus. The economic integration and connectivity were main pillars to galvanise economic growth, create job opportunities, expand trade, improve competitiveness and usher prosperity in the region.

He said the importance of trade figures showed that ECO countries could not be over-emphasised. Pakistan attaches great importance to its trade relations with ECO countries and desires to significantly raise the volume of its trade with the member states.

ECO Vision 2025, he said, was an important document which would steer the organisation and serve as a roadmap for its success in the coming years.

Its emphasis on infrastructure development, facilitation of transit among member states and free trade would offer potential and practical remedies for the region’s socio-economic development. “We see the adoption of Vision 2025 as a step in the right direction,” he said.

“Peace in Afghanistan is very dear to us,” he said. Pakistan had been affected badly by instability in Afghanistan although it considered Afghanistan as its brotherly neighbour and fully supported the peace process in the war-torn country, he added.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2017