Speaking to Radio Eqtesad, Kashiri described Iran’s hosting of the ECO ministerial summit as a symbolic defeat of Western isolation policies against Tehran, calling it a major media success.
Founded in 1962 by Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan, ECO now includes 10 member states with a combined population of over 500 million and a landmass of 8 million square kilometers. Kashiri highlighted the organization’s strategic access to five open seas and its role in facilitating trade routes to Europe.
Unlike BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, ECO benefits from geographic cohesion, which fosters cultural, economic, and political proximity among its members. Kashiri noted that shared traditions such as Nowruz and joint cultural festivals have strengthened public diplomacy and people-to-people ties.
During President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent visit to Azerbaijan, Iran proposed regional cooperation initiatives in artificial intelligence and digital economy as part of ECO’s 2035 roadmap.
Kashiri urged member states to move beyond regional competition and embrace convergence in the face of unilateralism. He emphasized that economic and political spheres are now intertwined, forming a global political economy influenced by dominant powers.
He also announced the start of bilateral negotiations on double taxation, customs, and foreign trade, citing the Iranian Economy Minister’s visit to Tajikistan as a step toward joint investment and customs cooperation.
Additional developments include expanded flight routes between Tehran, Mashhad, and ECO countries, as well as efforts to revive the Silk Road corridor for cargo trade.
Kashiri stressed that all 10 ECO members are part of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and despite Western attempts to sow division, they remain culturally and religiously aligned. Nine ECO countries strongly condemned recent attacks on Iran during the 12-day conflict.
Iran is also advancing monetary agreements and local currency usage, with de-dollarization now a strategic priority. Kashiri concluded by highlighting the strong performance of Iranian engineering firms in ECO countries and their growing competitiveness against Chinese and European counterparts.