Latest news with #ECO
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
PM to attend ECO Summit in Baku today
ISLAMABAD: The 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) will be held in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, on 3-4 July 2025. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, will lead the Pakistan delegation to the Summit, Foreign Office (FO) announced on Wednesday. The theme of the Summit is 'New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future.' SCO summit 2024: Pakistan leads the regional unity During the Summit, the FO statement reads the prime minister will share Pakistan's perspective on key regional and global challenges, reaffirm Pakistan's commitment to the ECO Vision 2025, and advocate for enhanced intra-regional trade, transport connectivity, energy cooperation, and sustainable development. He will also hold bilateral meetings with other ECO leaders on the sidelines of the Summit to discuss matters of mutual interest. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
4 hours ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
PM Shehbaz to attend ECO summit in Baku from July 3-4
Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the two-day 17th Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, beginning today (Thursday). The summit, scheduled for July 3–4 under the theme 'New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future', will bring together leaders from member states to discuss key regional challenges, economic integration, and climate resilience. During the two-day event, the prime minister will lead the Pakistani delegation and present Islamabad's perspective on pressing regional and global issues. PR No.1️⃣9️⃣6️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ Curtain Raiser: Prime Minister to Attend 17th ECO Summit in Baku Azerbaijan 🔗⬇️ — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 2, 2025 He is also expected to reiterate Pakistan's commitment to the ECO Vision 2025 and advocate for greater intra-regional trade, enhanced connectivity in transport and energy sectors, and sustainable development. The ECO traces its origins to the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD), which was established in 1964 and later expanded into ECO in 1985. It now comprises 10 member states from South and Central Asia as well as the Middle East. On the sidelines of the summit, PM Shehbaz will hold bilateral meetings with ECO leaders to discuss matters of mutual interest, with a focus on economic cooperation, climate challenges, and regional peace. Read More: 'Pakistan follows independent policy' Pakistan has consistently raised its voice on the global climate crisis, highlighting its position as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, despite contributing less than one percent to global carbon emissions. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and the accelerated melting of glaciers have exposed the country to recurring natural disasters, threatening food security, public health, and the national economy. The devastating floods of 2022 served as a grim reminder of Pakistan's climate vulnerability. The disaster affected more than 33 million people, claimed over 1,700 lives, and displaced more than eight million. The flooding caused widespread destruction of infrastructure and crops, inflicting an estimated $14.8 billion in damage and $15.2 billion in economic losses. The humanitarian impact was severe, with many survivors forced to live in temporary shelters amid limited access to basic services. The prime minister is expected to raise the issue of climate justice during his address, calling for stronger regional cooperation and international support for mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Arab News
10 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan PM to push for regional trade, energy cooperation at ECO summit tomorrow
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization's (ECO) summit in Baku, Azerbaijan from July 3-4, the foreign office said on Wednesday, where he will push for intra-regional trade, connectivity and energy cooperation. Originally founded in 1964 by Pakistan, Iran and Turkiye, the association now includes member states from South Asia, Central Asia and parts of West Asia and the Caucasus. ECO aims to promote sustainable economic development in the region, aiming at joint welfare and wellbeing of its members. The ECO region is home to over 460 million inhabitants and expands over 8 million square kilometers of land. It is counted among one of the oldest intergovernmental organizations. Its current members include Pakistan, Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. 'During the Summit, the Prime Minister will share Pakistan's perspective on key regional and global challenges, reaffirm Pakistan's commitment to the ECO Vision 2025, and advocate for enhanced intra-regional trade, transport connectivity, energy cooperation, and sustainable development,' the foreign office said. The statement said the Pakistani prime minister will also hold bilateral meetings with other ECO leaders on the sidelines of the summit to discuss matters of mutual interest with them. The development takes place as Pakistan pushes for enhanced regional trade and security cooperation with its allies in the Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions. Islamabad views trade, energy cooperation and increased connectivity as vital to consolidate its economic gains, especially as it looks to escape a macroeconomic crisis that has drained its resources and caused its foreign exchange reserves to plummet in the past few years. Sharif's government has repeatedly called for mutually beneficial economic partnerships with regional allies instead of loans.
Edinburgh Reporter
2 days ago
- General
- Edinburgh Reporter
New ECO awards introduced in the Brownies
The 106th A Edinburgh Brownies went on a litter pick recently. The pack invited Dr Scott Arthur MP for Edinburgh South West to join them to help celebrate the unit's completion of the new Girlguiding ECO award and to present them with their certificates. The ECO award was launched by Girlguiding UK in April this year to help empower girls and young women to take active steps towards reducing their carbon footprint and tackling environmental issues. It can be completed by all in Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers. The 106th A Edinburgh Brownies are one of the first groups in the city to complete the new award. Whilst finishing off the challenge with a litter pick along the Water of Leith, the girls talked to the MP about the small changes they had each made to their everyday activities to help reduce their carbon footprint. Earlier in the term, the 106th A Edinburgh Brownies made eco-friendly bird, bat and butterfly boxes, which have been placed along the river and in Saughton Park with help from local volunteers. This has helped to strengthen the wildlife corridor between Roseburn Park and Corstorphine Hill. The Brownies also spent time constructing large planters, which have been filled with flowers and herbs to attract the bees and butterflies to Saughtonhall. Following a generous grant from the Edinburgh Airport Community Fund, the Brownies were able to purchase all of the tools and materials needed for their wildlife projects and learned valuable skills from using the hand and power tools to make the boxes. Helen Welsh, leader with the 106th A Brownies said: 'I am so pleased our Brownies are so committed to to helping the environment and this new award is a perfect way to recognise all their efforts. Dr Scott Arthur MP said: 'Saughton Park is one of the best in Edinburgh and I am proud that local Brownies are getting their ECO award by keeping the park in great shaping and helping the environment.' While the 106th A Edinburgh Brownies are among one of the first groups in Edinburgh to complete the ECO award, many of the more than 3,500 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers in the city, along with more than 1,000 adult volunteers, will be taking on the challenge in the coming year. Like this: Like Related
Business Recorder
25-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
FPCCI underscores need to expand trade with Turkiye
KARACHI: Atif Ikram Sheikh, President FPCCI has underscored the need to further expand bilateral trade and economic relations, stating that the current trade volume between Pakistan and Turkiye does not truly reflect the historic brotherly ties and close diplomatic relations between the two nations. Speaking at Pakistan-Turkey Business Council of FPCCI meeting, he highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional linkages and private sector cooperation to unlock the full potential of Pakistan-Turkey trade at FPCCI Head Office Karachi under the chairmanship of Saquib Fayyaz Maggo, Senior Vice President FPCCI. He reaffirmed FPCCI's commitment to facilitating greater business-to-business linkages between Pakistan and Turkey. He appreciated Turkey's continued support in various sectors and expressed optimism that stronger economic partnerships would benefit both nations. He called upon both governments to create a more enabling environment for trade and investment through swift policy measures. Delivering his keynote remarks, Syed Mazhar Ali Nasir, Chairman of the Council emphasized the urgent need for the early signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and Turkey. He noted that despite the shared membership of platforms such as OIC, D-8, and ECO, bilateral trade between the two brotherly countries remains below potential. He pointed out that bilateral trade has stagnated at under US $1 billion, with Pakistan's share standing at approximately US $366 million in 2024. He highlighted that Pakistan's exports to Turkey; including textiles, denim, sports goods, surgical instruments, and rice are in high demand and can play a vital role in balancing trade. He further stressed that improvements in trade routes, banking channels, and logistics connectivity would help bilateral trade flourish and meet the expectations of the two nations' business communities. Cemal Sangu Consul General of Turkiye in Karachi appreciated FPCCI's efforts in promoting bilateral trade and assured the Council of Turkey's willingness to explore new avenues of cooperation. He reiterated that both countries have great potential to expand trade in sectors such as construction, tourism, engineering, and food processing. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
