Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated that Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) members are resolute to boost cooperation.
"There is a very extensive potential among ECO member states for deepening and developing cooperation and this potential needs to be used,” he told reporters at Tehran Mehrabad Airport upon his arrival in Tehran.
ECO members stressed cooperation in road, railroad, shipping, oil and gas network and removing commercial impediments in the 13th annual meeting held in Islamabad, he added.
"We believe that ECO’s potential needs to be used to encourage economic activists in public and private sectors. Fortunately, there is a certain will among member states for this goal.”
He further noted that the ECO members emphasized battle against extremism and terrorism.
Meanwhile Rouhani noted that in a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the two sides agreed on following up on and implementing a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) already discussed by the two sides.
He said that in another meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the two sides stressed developing bilateral banking relations and establishing bank branches in one another countries.
Strengthening ECO would benefit all regional countries and would help improving Iran’s cooperation with Turkey, Pakistan and regional stability, he noted.