The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which was established in 1964, was revived by the Turkish government in 1985 and brings 10 Muslim countries together. The organization, which brings together the four northern tier Muslim countries and six Muslim former Soviet republics, is an intergovernmental platform aiming to improve economic and financial cooperation and trade and investment opportunities. Its summit meeting has been held every two years. The 17th summit of ECO was held in the city of Khankendi, Azerbaijan, on July 3-4, 2025.
The member states attach great importance to the summit meeting by demonstrating their commitment to promoting regional cooperation and sustainable development. ECO Secretary General Asad Majeed Khan praised Azerbaijan’s role in revitalizing the organization and setting new standards for regional cooperation. There are many important developments and features that made the last summit special.
The place of the meeting was quite symbolic. On the one hand, Khankendi, the city that hosted the summit, is of symbolic importance for Azerbaijan, since the city was once the capital of the Armenian occupying regime in Karabakh. On the other hand, by participating in the ECO summit, the attendees celebrated the liberation of Karabakh, the occupation of which was considered as one of the main issues of the Muslim ummah for the last three decades.
The level and number of participants were also quite impressive. Not only representatives of the member states but also representatives of some other countries and international organizations attended the summit. The summit brought together ECO heads of state and government, as well as ministers from the ECO member states. Besides the host, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon attended the summit. The participants of the summit also included Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Oljas Bektenov, the interim government of Afghanistan's Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdulgani Birader and Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister Rasit Meredow.
Besides the representatives of the ECO Observers, such as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar, special guests from Nigeria (Budget and Economic Planning Minister Abubakar Atiku Bagudu) and the United Arab Emirates (Industry and Advanced Technology Minister Sultan Al Jaber) also attended the summit. In addition, representatives of international organizations, including the secretaries general of the D8, the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), CICA, UNESCAP, TRACECA, ITF, and the deputy secretary general of the United Nations, attended the summit. Finally, high-level ECO officials, including the secretary general of the ECO, Ased Majeed Khan, also joined the meeting.
During the summit, the Strategic Objectives of Economic Cooperation 2035 Document (the 2035 Vision Document) was adopted. This document, which will provide a road map and shape the next 10 years of the organization, will enhance vision in the economy and trade, the main area of the organization. For example, President Erdoğan has pointed out that the ECO should advance economic and commercial cooperation and target an intra-regional trade volume of $100 billion to higher figures.
As for the theme of the summit, the "New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Future" was quite innovative. For the ECO document, sustainability is one of the most significant preconditions of economic development. Given the negative impacts of climate change on economic development, states need to achieve “climate-resilient” economies. In other words, the ECO targets to develop an economic system that is compatible with today’s and future dynamics and needs. Besides traditional fields such as tourism, energy, science, education and cultural exchange, ECO leaders have underlined to improve cooperation in sustainable economic growth, deeper regional integration, inclusive development, innovation, connectivity and green transformation.
Several forums were also held within the framework of the summit. Representatives of member states discussed in youth, women and business forums. Member states have emphasized intra-regional cooperation not only in economic topics but also in social issues. These meetings lasted for almost one week. Representatives of member states and international organizations have discussed many other issues as well throughout the ECO week.
It seems that, as a successful example of regionalism, ECO has a promising future. In a time of regionalism, it will continue to play a constructive role in regional cooperation and progress.
