Azernews.Az

During Azerbaijan's chairmanship in the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, member-states of the organization will witness positive changes, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at a summit of the ECO member-states in Baku on Tuesday.

The Iranian president voiced the initiative to create a political forum within ECO, for coordination of actions on the international arena, helping out the member states in disputable issues and for protection of rights and interests of ECO member states in international organizations, and for taking joint steps for reforming international structures, including the UN.

Taking into account the rich general heritage, President Ahmadinejad proposed to develop cultural cooperation to strengthen and institutionalize the scientific and technological cooperation among the ECO countries and to create a relevant organization.

The Iranian president said it is important for the agenda to include the cooperation in economy, industry, agriculture, energy, trade, and use of national currencies in mutual trade transactions, development of unified customs legislation and security of economies of the member-states.

He added that it is important to improve rail, sea, land, air transport networks, as well as to jointly use the potential of the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, the Caspian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea.

Ahmadinejad also considers it necessary to create the ECO Economic Forum, where it would be possible for regional international senior managers, authorities, experts and representatives of the private sector and government to consult every year and propose the solution to different issues.

"Proceeding from the unlimited potential and opportunities of our peoples, we can do a lot," he said. "All this can be done if there is unanimity, promotion of cooperation, coordination of actions in the organization. We must take collective actions to defend the independence, progress and prosperity of our countries."

The Organization for Economic Cooperation was founded by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey in 1985. In 1993 the organization was granted observer status at the UN and a year later in the Organization of Islamic Conference, now the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.