Iran (IMNA) - Speaking at the 4th Meeting of Interior Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), held at Tehran’s Summit Conference Hall after a 15-year hiatus, President Pezeshkian said that enhancing cooperation among member states in security and law enforcement would pave the way for lasting stability and prosperity.
The high-level gathering, convened under Iran’s policy of regional engagement, brought together ministers and senior officials from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Iran, along with the ECO Secretary-General, the Interior Minister of Oman, and the Deputy Interior Minister of Iraq as special guests.
In his address, Pezeshkian described the long-awaited meeting as a symbol of renewed determination among ECO members to strengthen coordination in key areas of shared interest. He noted that interior ministries play a decisive role in maintaining security and social stability, which are fundamental prerequisites for economic progress.
“It would be illogical,” he said, “to pursue multilateral economic cooperation while ignoring the role of interior ministries that ensure predictability and resilience within regional frameworks.”
The president highlighted the need for cross-border collaboration in areas such as border management, law enforcement, combating illegal migration, human trafficking, drug smuggling, terrorism, and organized crime, describing these as essential to achieving sustainable regional stability.
Pezeshkian also underscored the critical role of member states in responding to future crises — including natural disasters, pandemics, geopolitical shifts, and security threats — and urged the establishment of strong institutional foundations within the ECO framework.
Acknowledging the organization’s past achievements, he said that while ECO has made significant progress toward economic integration, many of its capacities remain untapped. He welcomed the growing determination among member nations to deepen cooperation, citing the recent summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, as evidence of this shared commitment.
The president also expressed optimism about the proposed ECO Vision 2035, which he said will outline a forward-looking roadmap for regional development and partnership.
Warning against ongoing foreign interference in the region, Pezeshkian said that some of the world’s most consequential interventions have occurred across the ECO geography. He condemned the atrocities in Gaza, describing them as “one of the most horrific genocides and crimes against humanity in recent years.”
Concluding his remarks, President Pezeshkian stressed that persistent ambitions by external powers to influence regional affairs highlight the urgent need for ECO member states — spanning Central Asia, the Caucasus, South Asia, West Asia, and the Persian Gulf — to jointly construct a coherent, stabilizing, and development-oriented regional security architecture.
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