Pakistan has called for speeding up work on economic connectivity projects linking Central Asia with the Arabian Sea, with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar making the appeal at an informal session of the Economic Cooperation Organization’s Council of Ministers in New York. The session was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where Pakistan used the platform to press for faster progress on regional trade and transport corridors.
Addressing the gathering, Dar said Pakistan is prepared to host the 30th session of the ECO Foreign Ministers in Islamabad in November. Pakistan currently chairs the ECO Council of Ministers for 2026-27, a position that gives it a central role in steering the organization’s agenda during a period of renewed focus on regional integration.
The deputy prime minister voiced Pakistan’s support for the 2026-35 strategic targets set by the Economic Cooperation Organization, according to the account of his remarks. The economic connectivity projects at the heart of his message are intended to link landlocked Central Asian states to the Arabian Sea, a goal that has long been discussed within the ECO but has often lagged in implementation.
Dar’s call reflects Islamabad’s broader push to position itself as a bridge between Central Asia and the sea, using its ports and road networks to facilitate trade. The appeal for accelerated work on these corridors comes as Pakistan seeks to deepen economic ties with neighbors and regional partners through the ECO framework.
Beyond connectivity, the deputy prime minister addressed Afghanistan, saying Pakistan has always supported a peaceful, prosperous and stable Afghanistan. He said Pakistan has urged the Taliban government in Afghanistan to address its legitimate security concerns and to act against the TTP and the BLA groups. The remarks underscore Pakistan’s continued emphasis on security as an inseparable element of regional stability and economic cooperation.
The informal session provided an opportunity for ECO member states to exchange views ahead of the November foreign ministers’ meeting in Islamabad. Pakistan’s chairmanship of the council for 2026-27 places it in a position to shape discussions on trade, transit and connectivity at a time when the organization is pursuing its long-term strategic targets.
Dar’s participation in the New York meeting was part of a busy diplomatic schedule around the UN General Assembly. In a separate development, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif departed New York for London on Friday night after leading Pakistan’s delegation to the 81st session of the UNGA. During a five-day visit to New York, the prime minister addressed the 193-member General Assembly and held meetings with world leaders on regional and other matters.
Pakistan’s call for speeding up economic connectivity projects signals its intent to keep regional trade and transit high on the ECO agenda as it prepares to host the foreign ministers’ session later this year. The emphasis on linking Central Asia to the Arabian Sea aligns with Islamabad’s stated goals of fostering prosperity and stability through cooperation, even as security concerns involving Afghanistan remain part of the conversation.
The upcoming November meeting in Islamabad will test whether the momentum Dar sought to generate in New York translates into concrete progress on the corridors that member states have long championed.
Source: ARY News