ISTANBUL - The seventh Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) heads of states summit ended in Istanbul on Monday.
After the meeting, presidents and representatives of ECO member countries had a family picture.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Head of State General Pervez Musharraf stated at the end of the meeting that the summit is important for improving regional cooperation and that the ECO member states stressed their resolution to speed up cooperation among themselves.
Musharraf said that ECO has to focus on concrete issues in order to develop cooperation, thanking President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Turkey for hosting the meeting.
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said that the meeting constituted important opportunities for development of regional cooperation in the coming decades. Stressing that if ECO prepares the ground for development of regional cooperation and activates sources and potential to this end, ECO will contribute significantly to regional peace and stability, Khatami said that Istanbul Declaration is a very constructive document.
Meanwhile, President Sezer presented awards to Prof. Dr. Nuran Zeren Gulersoy, Prof. Dr. Azime Tezer and Prof. Dr. Reyhan Genli Yigiter from Turkey in the field of history, culture and fine arts; award in science and technology to Dr. Riazuddin from Pakistan, Rutamov Musa Ismailoglu from Azerbaijan, Zakirjan Salimov from Uzbekistan, and Safiev Khaider from Tajikistan; award in agriculture to Ezatollah Karami from Iran; award to Kamal Seitzhanovich Smilov from Kazakhstan in education and award to Prof. Dr. Talaibek Koichumanov from Kyrgyzstan in economy.
ISTANBUL DECLARATION PUBLISHED AFTER ECO SUMMIT
Ten countries which participated in the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Seventh Heads of States summit adopted Istanbul Declaration on Monday.
Here are the main points of the declaration:
''-ECO members reviewed the decade-long performance of the expanded ECO with reference to its achivements and the challenges it may encounter in the new millenium. They expressed their determination to strengethen the multidimensional regional cooperation especially in areas of Trade and Investment, Transport and Communications, Energy, Minerals, Environment, Agriculture, Industry and Drug Control to realize the objectives stipulated in the Treaty of Izmir.
-The ECO member states decided to contribute to the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
-ECO desires to use the dynamics and the potential of the private sector for implementing ECO projects and programmes aiming to ensure the economic development of the member countries.
-ECO member countries decided to operationalize the Transit Trade Agreement (1995) and the Transit Transport Framework Agreement (1998) to facilitate effecient trade and transport in the region and beyond.
-Referring to the importance of the trade liberalization efforts in the region, ECO member countries decided to finalize and implement ECO Trade Agreement (ECOTA) that will envisage the removal of non-tariff barriers and progressive reduction of tariffs within an optimal timeframe.
-ECO member states welcomed the launching of a regular contanier train on Istanbul-Tehran-Turkmenabad-Tashkent-Almaty route of Trans-Asian Railway main line and the pilot run of the ECO passanger train from Almaty on the same route in 2002 as concrete achievement of the regional cooperation and hoped that these trains would pave the way for the promotion of tourism and trade in the region.
-ECO member sattes called for further progress of ECO-Islamic Development Bank project on interconnection of power systems in the ECO region, as well as the implementation of the Plan of Action for Enhergy-Oil Cooperation in the ECO region (2001-2005).
The Declaration also took note with satisfaction of the successful scheduling of the ECO Business Forum on the sidelines of the summit which took place by the support of International Trade Centre and Turkey.
The declaration also apprectiated the growing relations of ECO with regional and international organizations and financial institutoins.
SEZER: TURKEY ATTRIBUTES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO INCREASE IN COOPERATION AMONG ECO MEMBER NATIONS
Sezer hosted a dinner banquet in honor of heads of ECO member state and government and participating delegates of the Seventh Summit Meeting of the ECO.
Speaking at the dinner, Sezer said that they had held a beneficial and productive contact and work in Istanbul, expressing his pleasure with hosting heads of ECO member state and government in Istanbul.
Recalling that ECO firstly had three founding members and later became a ten-member organization in 1992, Sezer said that participation of countries most of which did not have an exit to sea brought new responsibilities to both the organization and members.
Noting that ECO's geography had rich natural resources, offering big opportunities while it also included several difficulties, Sezer said that economic problems of seven ECO members should be solved.
Sezer stressed that as a first step, Almaty-Tashkent-Turkmenabad-Tehran-Istanbul train should become regular. The President stressed the importance of increase in trade among the ECO members and trade with other countries and development of tourism and social relations among the ECO nations.
Recalling that re-building of Afghanistan was one of the important issues on the agenda of the ECO meeting in Istanbul, Sezer said, ''we believe that settlement of lasting stability in Afghanistan is necessary also for securing and maintaining international peace.''
Stating that they supported ECO's active participation in international efforts for re-building of Afghanistan, Sezer said, ''while joining these efforts, we think it necessary to absolutely get approval and priorities of the Islamic State of Afghanistan. Turkey will continue to send every kind of assistance to sister and friendly Afghanistan to enable it to live in peace and stability.''
Noting that he believed ECO member countries would carefully observe and evaluate the proposals mentioned in the document that had been prepared by the ECO Business Forum and later approved at today's summit, Sezer said, ''Turkey attributes great importance to increase in cooperation among the ECO member nations. We sincerely believe in necessity of taking concrete steps to meet demands and expectations of our peoples.''
President Sezer added that Turkey would fulfill its responsibilities to further improve cooperation among the ECO members.
Later, the dinner was closed to press.
ILDEM GIVES INFORMATION ABOUT PRESIDENT SEZER'S BILATERAL CONTACTS
Presidential Foreign Affairs Chief Adviser Tacan Ildem said late on Monday that Iraq issue had also come onto the agenda at a meeting between President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Iranian President Mohammad Khatami within the scope of the Seventh Summit Meeting of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
Ildem who made a statement on Sezer's bilateral meetings, said that President Sezer and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf had discussed the regional issues concerning the relations between the two countries.
Stating that there was no economic relation at the level of the political dimension of the relations between Turkey and Pakistan, Ildem said that although bilateral trade volume was not at the desired level, Turkish contracting firms had recently increased efforts and initiatives in Pakistani market.
Ildem stated that at the meeting, Musharraf had expressed his pleasure with Turkish firms' participation in the infrastructure investment projects in Pakistan.
Ildem quoted Sezer as saying that the steps that Pakistan had taken on the path of democratization were welcomed and added that military relations were also satisfactory.
Noting that Musharraf had conveyed his views on Kashmir to President Sezer, Ildem stated that Turkey supported the efforts to find solutions on Kashmir issue on the base of international laws.
Noting that Sezer had later held a bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev, Ildem said that the two leaders had stressed importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project.
Stating that the two leaders had also discussed participation of Kazakhstan in the project and that they believed realization of the Shah Sea Natural Gas Pipeline project would contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity like the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, Ildem said that the two leaders had also discussed Upper Karabakh issue.
Recalling that Sezer had also met with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Ildem said that the two leaders had discussed re-building of Afghanistan while Karzai had expressed his pleasure with awarding a Turkish company with a tender for a motorway project in Afghanistan.
Stating that international cooperation in fight against terrorism had been discussed during the meeting between President Sezer and President Emomali Rakhmonov of Tajikistan, Ildem said that the two sides had a powerful will to develop their bilateral relations.
Ildem said that President Askar Akaev of Kyrgyzstan had informed Sezer on development activities in his country and the three-year development strategy.
Regarding the meeting between President Sezer and President Mohammad Khatami of Iran, Ildem said, ''when we look at economic cooperation, we see that the trade volume is against Turkey especially after recent purchase of natural gas from Iran. We believe that both sides should develop creative opinions and take necessary measures to balance the trade volume. At the meeting, Mr. Khatami stated that it would be beneficial to finalize foundation of an ECO bank during Turkey's term presidency.''
''At the meeting, regional issues were discussed. With this respect, protection of Iraq's territorial integrity and political unity is an important factor for both Turkey and Iran. At the meting, both leaders had the opportunity of expressing this,'' Ildem added.