Foreword I take great pleasure in bringing you this issue of ECO Chronicle for the year 2018. Since the last issue, we have had a rather eventful stretch of time and as the events and activities covered in this issue will demonstrate, ECO is on an upward trajectory which is mainly due to the momen- tum and drive provided by the ECO Heads of State at the 13th ECO Summit in Islamabad last year. We at the ECO are fully aware of the aspirations of our Member-States and, as reflected through our ECO Vision 2025, we are committed to the goal of regional integration and eco- nomic prosperity for the ECO Region. To achieve its goals and meet the challenges of present times with respect to the trend- ing global agenda, including the post -2015 development agen- da and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ECO needs full support from its Member States. It is both heartening and elevating to note that the Member- States of ECO are showing their full commitment and support to the programs and activities of ECO, as the pages that follow will depict. ECO is also striving to expand its external relations through seeking new partnerships and strengthening existing coopera- tive arrangements with the regional and international organiza- tions. The time period covered in this issue saw new MoUs signed and channels established with International Organizations such as WIPO. It is important that we should bring to our Member-States the benefits through effectively implementing the MoUs that we have signed with our global partners. Let me conclude with prayers for this region's prosperity and a very bright future for its people. I hope you enjoy this issue of the ECO Chronicle; please also keep an eye on the ECO's web- site for the latest information. Ambassador Halil Ibrahim Akca ECO Secretary General CHRONICLE ECO 1 CONTENTS 2-3 Contents ECO Heads of Customs ECO SG attends D8 Summit Administration Council AMF Acting SG Visits ECO Convened in Islamabad Secretariat 4-27 News in ECO ECO Smuggling and ECO SG attends Heart of The 23rd Council of Customs Offences Data Bank Asia Istanbul Process meeting in Ministers (COM) Meeting held in Ankara Baku ECO ICT Ministers Meet in ECO SG, ECO Specialized ECO SG attends Regional Baku Agencies Meet in Tehran Afghanistan Conference in ECO Day 2017 ECO Civil Registration Ashgabat Commemorated in Islamabad Organization Heads meet in ECO SG attends Security & ECO-CCI Holds GA, ExCom Istanbul Sustainable Development in Tehran And more ... Conference in Samarkand ECO Reinsurance Company SG, Uzbekistan Foreign Meeting held in Karachi 28-43 External Trade Minister meet in 28th ECO Regional Planning Samarkand Council Concludes in Relations ECO, TEPAV Sign MoU Islamabad ECO SG Attends Regional ECO, SESRIC sign MoU ECO, Pakistani High Level Infrastructure Projects And more ... Officials Meet in Ashgabat Inauguration in Turkmenistan CHRONICLE ECO 2 In The Name Of God Front Cover The 23rd Council of Ministers (COM) Dushanbe,Tajikistan April, 2018 ECO chronicLE 44-47 Op-ed Published by Geo-economic Importance of a New Project Economic Cooperation Organization within the ECO Region Patron & Supervision Halil Ibrahim Akca 48-60 Papers ECO Secretary General What Is the ECO Fund for Reconstruction of Address Afghanistan and Why It Matters? No.1, Golbou Alley, The Economic Cooperation Organization and Kamranieh St., Tehran-Iran Sustainable Development P.O.Box \ 14155- 6176 Tourism Trends in ECO Region: An Overview Tehran(I.R. Iran) Tel \ (+98-21) 22831733-4 22292066 Fax \ (+98-21) 22831732 Disclaimer: http://www.eco.int The views expressed and data contained in this publication provided by writers/ Graphic Design authors are not necessarily those held or Kia Saadatmand agreed by the ECO Secretariat. 0912 321 0 716 CHRONICLE ECO 3 News in ECO extraordinarily sessions. The 23rd Meeting of the Council of Ministers planned to be hosted by the Republic of Tajikistan constitutes another step for broadening regional cooperation among the Member States for the socio-economic develop- ment and prosperity in the ECO Region, as well as further enhancing the cultural affinities. The Council at its 23rd meeting on April 17, 2018 in Dushanbe will, inter alia, consider the following items as per the agenda of the Meeting: The 23rd The Council will consider the Reports of the Council of Permanent Representatives, Regional Planning Council, and the Secretariat of the Organization, Sectoral Ministerial Meetings, Council of Specialized Agencies and Regional Institutions. The Council may adopt the reports of these bod- Ministers ies and may make decisions if needed. (COM) Dushanbe, Tajikistan April, 2018 ECO The Council of As the 22nd Council Meeting in Islamabad CHRONICLE Ministers is the highest adopted the ECO Vision 2025, the upcoming decision making body of the session will consider the progress made with Organization. The Council shall meet respect to its implementation. The new Scale of at least once a year by rotation, in the Assessment has been on the agenda for consecu- territories of the Member States. The tive meetings and despite continuous efforts, no year 1991 saw the first meeting of the consensus has been achieved on the issue. Council of Ministers within the frame- Therefore the agenda also includes the new work of the Economic Cooperation Scale of Assessment which has been linked to the Organization. So far, the Council has reform process of the Organization and in this held 21 regular meetings and three regard is seen as a starting point. Also being con- sidered is the restructuring of the Secretariat. In this context, the staff strength, as well as the recruitment policy may be reviewed and updat- ed. In recent years concerns have been raised in CHRONICLE ECO 4 News in ECO terms of implementation and operationalization Statute, informed the ECO Secretariat of the ECO Trade Agreement. The ECO Trade of its intension, to suspend the estab- Agreement has provided for a 'Cooperation lishment of metrology Board in Astana. Council' comprised of the respective representa- As Pakistan has expressed its willing- tives of the States parties to ECOTA for the ness to replace Kazakhstan in this implementation of the said Agreement. The regard, the protocol amending the arti- Council of Ministers may consider the drawbacks cle has been submitted to the Council and obstacles for the proper implementation of for adoption. the aforementioned Agreement and provide rec- The Council is also expected to ommendations for further cooperation under review the ECO Programme for sup- ECOTA. porting Afghanistan and consider the The term of office of the incumbent Secretary new Advocacy Programme which was General will be completed in August 2018. Since developed to support the people the appointment of the Secretary General must and government of be done by the Council Afghanistan in their of Ministers; efforts to boost economic the 23rd Meeting of the devel- Council of Ministers opment. The will make the required deci- first Plan of Action sion, with respect to the nominat- for supporting reconstruc- ed candidate for the post of the Secretary tion of Afghanistan within the ECO General. framework was developed in 2003. The Council may also consider adoption of the After nearly two decades and the com- Protocol amending Article 5.4.1.10 of the "Statue pletion of three major projects, the of the ECO Regional Institute for Standardization, Council may make the required deci- conforming Assessment, Accreditation and sion to support Afghanistan based on Metrology" which was adopted by the Council in the principles and objectives set out in 2009 in Tehran. Under the said article, the the new advocacy programme and the Technical Management Boards provided for lessons learned and experience gained under the statute of RISCAM shall be established during this period. in Iran, Turkey and Kazakhstan. However, Kazakhstan which remained non-signatory to the CHRONICLE ECO 5 News in ECO ECO ICT Ministers Meet in Baku ECO The 2nd CHRONICLE Meeting of the Ministers of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) of the ECO Member States was held on 5th December 2017 in Baku. The Meeting was attended by high-level delega- tions from the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Turkey and Turkmenistan. A delegation from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) headed by ITU Secretary "Plan of Action" was agreed by Ministerial meeting General Houlin Zhao, also to serve as a framework for future joint activities in attended the Meeting. Director the field of ICT under the umbrella of ECO. In General of "Regional order to make proper follow up on concrete activi- Commonwealth in the Field of ties/projects as highlighted by the "strategy pillars", Communications (RCC)" also par- it was decided to establish a Working Group which ticipated at the invitation of the will regularly meet and update required data and, Government of Azerbaijan. if needed, make revisions to respond to new and At the Inaugural Session, the emerging needs of the Member States. Meeting was briefed by ECO Baku Declaration was also adopted unanimously Secretary General, Halil Ibrahim by the Meeting to serve as a basic guiding docu- Akca, on major deliberations and ment for strengthening and enhancing the regional recommendations of the Senior cooperation via exploring the latest trends and Officials Meeting (SOM), held on benefits of ICT in the interest of the ECO Member 4th December 2017, notably on States. implementation of two phases of On the sidelines of the Meeting, ECO Secretary regional studies in line with the General met with ITU Secretary General, where mandate provided by the 1st ITU was informed about ECO's major ongoing Meeting of ECO Ministers, projects in various sectors, notably on the tangible addressing respectively ICT needs developments achieved in the sector of energy and of the ECO Member States, and transport.