DUSHANBE, Sept 14: The Economic Cooperation Organization (Eco) on Tuesday called for a series of sustained efforts for trade and economic development within the 10-member regional grouping to the benefit of all states.

In the Dushanbe Declaration adopted by the eighth Eco summit, leaders gave policy guidelines to be followed for attaining the objectives of the organization. They emphasized that continued peace, stability, confidence and security in the region was pre-requisite for attaining the Eco goals and objectives.

The Eco leaders welcomed the finalization of the Eco Trade Agreement and called upon the member states to sign and ratify it expeditiously and establish a "free trade area in the Eco region by 2015" as a priority task.

They acknowledged that sustained and intensified efforts were required to make Eco a more effective organization for modernization, growth and development of the region and for gradual integration among member states as well as into the world economy.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and leaders of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in the day-long summit.

According to the joint declaration, Eco leaders highlighted the importance of transport and communications as one of the three priority areas of cooperation which would facilitate trade development in the region.

They called for ratification and implementation of the transit transport framework agreement for the promotion of trade within the Eco region and beyond.

The Eco leaders urged all concerned authorities and member states to pay attention to the organization's projects, programmes and activities and take follow-up action to ensure implementation of the decisions taken at various Eco meetings. -APP