Speaking at the 27th Informal Meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers in New York on Friday, Araghchi said the organization had gained “valuable momentum” in recent years and should build on progress in regional cooperation.
He said the meeting was taking place amid growing “uncertainty” and “fragmentation” attributed to the illegal wars and acts of aggression that undermine international and humanitarian law.
Araghchi said Iran remained committed to strengthening regional cooperation despite US and Israeli “terrorist” aggressions against Iran in June 2025 and February 2026.
He said the attacks had killed more than 4,000 Iranian civilians, including 168 schoolchildren in the city of Minab, and targeted infrastructure including hospitals, civilian airports and historical monuments.
Araghchi said Iranian resistance, together with international support, particularly from the ECO region, had prevented the aggressors from achieving their objectives.
“Against this backdrop, Iran remains firmly committed to strengthening regional cooperation and solidarity,” he said. “We believe that ECO can play more active role in promoting peace, stability, connectivity and sustainable development among its Member States.”
ECO economic integration
Araghchi pointed to progress within the organization, including the resumption of several ministerial meetings that had been suspended for years.
He cited advances in mining cooperation, sustainable and resilient transport, and efforts to amend the ECO Trade Agreement.
He also highlighted the ECO Vision for the coming decade, which he said was being finalized with a focus on feasibility, measurability and effective implementation. Iran hopes the document will be approved at the 18th ECO summit in Tehran, he said.
Araghchi said transport infrastructure and regional connectivity had also expanded, with ECO corridors developing links to major cargo and logistics hubs, including those connected to China.
He also pointed to growth in regional tourism and intra-regional trade, saying the trends showed that the foundations for deeper economic integration were strengthening.
He identified energy, human resources, agriculture, industry and the environment among the region’s remaining priorities.
ECO was established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey and later expanded to include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The organization promotes economic, trade and transport cooperation among its 10 members.
Araghchi said Iran is preparing to host the 18th ECO summit in Tehran on Dec. 3-4, 2026, describing the gathering as significant for the region and the wider international community.
He called for peace, security and prosperity and an end to unilateral coercive measures and aggression, which he called “the root causes of instability and insecurity.”
