Alwaght- A month after Western members of the UN Security Council have unilaterally announced reinstatement of international sanctions on Iran under snapback mechanism, Tehran hosted the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) states, flexing muscles to the West that is seeking to isolate it.
This highly important event is being held after 15 years and in line with the Islamic Republic's policy of prioritization of the interaction with neighbors. Arrangement of this meeting amid growing Western and American pressures suggests that at least up to now the international sanctions against Iran have failed to isolate Tehran as was expected by the Westerners.
Iran has 16 border provinces and 15 neighbors and from the south and north has access both to the sea and to the oceanic high seas. This geographical location provides a big capacity for international cooperation and bilateral agreements with the neighboring countries and Tehran, given this precious position, has so far hosted the ECO meetings several times. And now the ECO ministers summit comes as Iran's role in international equations is growing.
ECO capacities for Iran
Iran intends to leverage the ECO as a key platform, viewing its policy of regional interaction within the bloc's framework as expandable.
Experts believe that although a free trade agreement and the removal of tariffs among ECO members have not yet been realized, the bloc's goal-setting in this area can still achieve results.
Furthermore, Iran can pursue cooperation with other ECO members on issues including the fight against terrorism, organized crime, foreign nationals, and drug trafficking.
A report by Iran's interior ministry shows the Islamic Republic has been successful in combating narcotics, an area in which it has suffered thousands of casualties and martyrs. Ali Zinivand, the ministry's spokesman, commented on cooperation with the ECO regarding foreign nationals, saying: "Iran alone is bearing the cost of dealing with foreign nationals; we have absorbed a flood of expenses, and UN aid is a drop in the bucket compared to these costs. A flood of these refugees could have gone to Europe, and we hosted them, yet the Europeans sanctioned us in return."
The ECO secretary-general also spoke about the organization's potential, noting that Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan as founding members, along with other members, have young populations. He stated they possess a high capacity in technology, especially in new fields like AI, for employing youth and flourishing their talents, adding: "We must consider this opportunity and make the most of it."
ECO trade volume
Official statistics released by the ECO reveal that the ECO, with a population of over half a billion and vast energy and mineral resources, has the potential to become a major global economic hub. However, its share of global trade remains below 5 percent and its intra-regional trade is only about 8 percent, figures that are significantly lower than those of the European Union or ASEAN.
According to data from 2023-2024, the ECO region's share of global trade stands at approximately $1.016 trillion, equivalent to 4-5 percent of world trade. Of this, intra-regional trade accounts for only about $110 billion, roughly 8-9 percent of total trade among member states.
ECO Secretary-General Asad Majeed Khan has emphasized the urgent need to revise strategies, set long-term goals for 2035, facilitate trade, reduce customs barriers, leverage technological capacities, and even explore a common currency to enhance economic cooperation. In an interview with Iran's Tasnim news agency, he acknowledged Iran's initiative in reviving ministerial meetings after years of stagnation. He stated that the organization's future depends on member states synergizing their efforts to address shared challenges such as climate change, the energy crisis, and disparate economic structures.
ECO message from Tehran: Iran is not isolated
Many of the ECO members are landlocked. So, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey that have access to sea can play a key role in cutting the costs and time of the transportation within the bloc. Meanwhile, Iran is a linking ring between Pakistan and Turkey.
Amid sanctions targeting Iran by the West and also the pressures from the US, presence of 10 ECO members in the ministerial summit in Tehran as well as presence of ministers from non-member neighboring countries sends a significant and clear message to the West: Iran cannot be stopped by sanctions and the West cannot isolate Iran under the ruse of nuclear program or human rights.
