The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen trade and economic integration in the region. The event was attended by ministers, their deputies, and diplomats from the participating countries, led by Turkey's Minister of Trade, Ömer Bolat.
The Kyrgyz Republic was represented at the meeting by the trade representative in Turkey, Chyngyz Esengul uulu, who outlined the key priorities and proposals of the country regarding the digitalization of trade, expanding electronic data exchange, creating unified customs standards, and updating the ECOTA agreement in light of modern challenges.
The three-day event included discussions among ministers and a meeting of a group of highly professional experts, where issues related to deepening economic integration within ECO, increasing the volume of internal trade, and expanding cooperation in trade and customs regulation were addressed.
One of the significant outcomes of the meeting was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey aimed at facilitating trade within ECO. This document envisions the simplification of customs procedures, improvement of information exchange, and implementation of digital solutions.
Work was also initiated to create a Technical Committee to discuss the update of the ECOTA agreement, with the first negotiations planned for the first quarter of 2026. In addition, a new roadmap aimed at establishing a free trade zone within ECO was approved.
