By Dr Lubna Farah | Islamabad
Pakistan will host the 30th Meeting of the Council of Ministers (COM) of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Islamabad on November 15–16, 2026, with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chairing the high-level ministerial gathering, the Foreign Office (FO) announced on Saturday.
The meeting is expected to bring together foreign ministers and heads of delegations from ECO member states, alongside representatives of the ECO Secretariat and its subsidiary bodies, providing a significant diplomatic platform to discuss regional economic cooperation, connectivity and collective development priorities.
According to the Foreign Office, Pakistan’s chairmanship will advance the organization’s objectives under the theme “Reviving Regionalism for a Resilient ECO”, reflecting Islamabad’s emphasis on strengthening regional partnerships, expanding economic integration and promoting sustainable development across the region.
The Foreign Office said Pakistan’s priorities would include enhancing regional connectivity, deepening economic integration and strengthening partnerships among member states through coordinated efforts aimed at greater prosperity and a more integrated and resilient regional economic framework.
The meeting is also expected to provide an opportunity to reinvigorate the ECO’s role as an effective platform for regional cooperation, diplomatic dialogue and economic collaboration, particularly at a time when regional connectivity and diversified trade routes have acquired increasing strategic and economic importance.
Pakistan’s Regional Connectivity Agenda
Pakistan’s chairmanship offers an opportunity to reinforce its position as a regional connectivity hub, facilitate logistics and supply-chain networks, and contribute to shaping the regional trade agenda. Islamabad is seeking to translate the ECO’s institutional framework into practical cooperation that can improve trade flows, facilitate investment and strengthen economic links among member states.
The Foreign Office emphasised that these initiatives would help unlock the region’s considerable economic potential and ensure that the benefits of regional cooperation translate into tangible improvements in the lives of people across ECO member countries.
Senior Officials’ Meeting to Finalise Ministerial Agenda
The ministerial session will be preceded by a Meeting of Senior Officials (SOM) from ECO member states. The senior officials will review the organization’s ongoing activities and programmes, assess the performance and work of its subsidiary bodies, and finalise the agenda and draft outcome documents for consideration by the ministers.
The deliberations are expected to establish the groundwork for ministerial-level decisions on the organization’s future priorities and mechanisms for strengthening regional cooperation.
Regional Significance
The Islamabad meeting provides Pakistan with an important diplomatic opportunity to promote economic cooperation across a strategically significant region linking South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and neighbouring economic corridors.
The effectiveness of the ECO’s renewed regional agenda, however, will ultimately depend on the implementation of agreed commitments, improved transport and trade infrastructure, streamlined customs procedures, stronger institutional coordination and the development of sustainable cross-border economic partnerships.
For Pakistan, the ministerial gathering is therefore not only a diplomatic engagement but also an opportunity to advance its regional trade and connectivity ambitions through a multilateral platform.
