Despite its firm commitments to the diplomacy and negotiation, Tehran has fallen victim to the illegal, aggressive, and terrorist actions of the United States and Israeli regime.
Iran’s top diplomat, who is currently in New York to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), participated in the 27th informal meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), chaired by Pakistan, on Friday.
Appreciating Pakistan and the ECO Secretariat, Araghchi emphasized the importance of strengthening regional cooperation among member states.
The following is the full text delivered by the Iranian foreign minister at the meeting:
Honorable Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Ishaq Dar,
Honorable Secretary General Majeed Khan,
Distinguished fellow Ministers / Heads of Delegation
At the outset, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and to the ECO Secretariat for convening this important meeting. It is my pleasure to be in this gathering of ECO family.
However, this meeting is convened at a time of growing uncertainty, fragmentation, with international law and international humanitarian law by waging illegal and unwarranted wars and acts of aggressions.
Distinguished Colleagues,
Despite our firm commitment to diplomacy and negotiations, the Islamic Republic of Iran fall victim of unlawful, unjustified act of terrorist aggressions by the United States and the Zionist Regime, on 13 June 2025 and 28 February 2026.
As a result, Supreme Leader of Islamic Republic of Iran, along with a number of senior military commanders and more than 4000 Iranian civilians were martyred. Such atrocities also claim lives of innocent 168 schoolchildren at a primary school in Minab City, while numerous infrastructure facilities including hospitals, civil airports and historical monuments were targeted.
With the remarkable resistance of Iranian armed forces and Iranian people, together with broad support of international community, particularly from ECO region, none of the objective of aggressors were achieved.
Against this backdrop, Iran remains firmly committed to strengthening regional cooperation and solidarity. We believe that ECO can play more active role in promoting peace, stability, connectivity and sustainable development among its Member States.
Excellencies,
Going back to ECO, our Organization has witnessed significant progress in recent years. A number of important meetings that had been suspended for several years—including Ministerial Meetings on Trade, Interior, Environment, among others, were successfully convened and some others are in the pipeline.
At the same time, several important initiatives have moved forward. Adoption of the five-year roadmap for mining cooperation, the ten-year strategy for sustainable and resilient transport within the ECO region, and the initiation of the process to amend the ECOTA Agreement are a number of successful examples of our collective resolve to better and brighter future. At the forefront of these efforts is the ECO VISION for the coming decade, which is currently being finalized with a view to ensuring its feasibility, measurability and effective implementation. We hope that the document will be considered for approval at the 18th summit in Tehran.
Significant progress has also been made in the development of transport infrastructure and regional connectivity. The expansion of ECO corridors and their growing links with major cargo and logistic hubs, including those connected to China, are strengthening the region’s role in international trade and transit networks.
Regional tourism has also continued to expand, according to available statistics. At the same time, intra-regional trade has maintained a positive growth trajectory. These developments demonstrate that, despite the challenges, the foundations for deeper economic integration within the ECO region are steadily strengthening. However, Energy, Human resource, Agriculture and Industries, Environment and the other subjects remain as crucial priorities for the ECO region.
Thanks to the commitment of Member States as well as a robust and dynamic leadership of Secretariat, headed by Ambassador Majeed Khan, ECO is going valuable momentum.
Distinguished Heads of Delegations,
As you are well aware, my country is preparing to host the 18th ECO Summit in Tehran on 3 and 4 December 2026, therefore, the significance of this highest level of ECO exposure is extremely important across the region and outside. We firmly believe, the invaluable contributions of
the ECO leaders would be a proper message to our people as well as international community.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In conclusion, I pray almighty God, peace, security and prosperity to be prevailed across the world, and to see an end to any unilateral coercive measures as well as aggressions which are the root causes of instability and insecurity.
Thank you for your kind attention.
