NA set to host ECO countries Conference of Parliaments

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly of Pakistan hosts the two-day second General Conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of Economic Cooperation Organization (PAECO) Starting on Tuesday (today) in the federal capital.

The Speakers and Parliamentarians from the ECO Parliaments will attend the event on the invitation of the Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser. The Conference is being attended by Mir Rehman Rahmani, Speaker of the Wolsi Jirga of Afghanistan, Ms. Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the MiliMajlis of Azerbaijan, Talant Mamytov, Speaker of the Supreme Council of Kyrgyz Republic, Zokirzoda Mahmodthohir ,Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Mustafa Sentop ,Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Ismoilov Nurdinjoin, Speaker of the Majlis Oli of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Mynbay Darkhan as Heads of the delegation of the House of Representatives of Kazakhstan. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf ,Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, Ms. Gulshat Mammedova Chairperson of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan and Dr. Hadi Soleimanpour Secretary General of ECO would virtually participate in the meeting.

President Dr. Arif Alvi will be the chief guest at inaugural ceremony. The inaugural session would comprise a welcome address of Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and addresses of Speakers and Heads of delegations of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and key note address of Chief Guest President Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The Speaker National Assembly will also preside over meeting of Executive Council and General Conference as per the Charter of PAECO, a document agreed to acclaim the efforts of Izmir Treaty. The 2nd Conference is an effort in the direction of enhancing cooperation and understanding between and among PAECO’s member countries. It is based on the belief that Parliamentarians, as representatives of the people and as policy makers, can play a pivotal role in encouraging commonality of views on matters of common interests as well as common concerns.

It is pertinent to note that the National Assembly of Pakistan is pioneer of PAECO and the vision behind its creation was to complement the efforts of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). PAECO is an important Forum, established back in 2013 initially as a body of cooperation for promoting ECO processes in line with the Treaty of Izmir and Quetta Plan of Action. Its Charter is elaborative on its multidimensional activities. It is to be recalled that PAECO was able to achieve Observer Status in Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) within one year of its inception in 2014.

There are 2508 legislators in the Parliaments from ECO members representing the will of over 450 million people During the second conference of PAECO, Speakers and Parliamentarians from ECO member countries will have a thought provoking discussion on Parliament’s oversight role in promoting intra-regional trade and investments to ensure sustainable socio-economic development in the ECO Region.