The 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was held in the city of Khankendi on July 4.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev welcomed the heads of state and government, as well as the heads of delegations participating in the Summit, The Caspian Post reports, citing AZERTAC.
The event participants posed for a family photo.
President Ilham Aliyev addressed the Summit.
Speech by President Ilham Aliyev
- Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
Dear Summit participants,
Welcome to Khankendi - to the ancient Azerbaijani land of Karabakh, for the participation in the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
I express my gratitude to Kazakhstan for the successful chairmanship of the ECO.
Azerbaijan is hosting the ECO Summit for the third time. The previous two summits of 2006 and 2012 were held in the capital city of Baku.
Organization of today’s Summit in Karabakh, in Khankendi, holds particular symbolism. Several significant international events have already been held in our lands liberated from Armenia’s occupation. I would like to mention the ECO Council of Ministers held in Shusha in 2023, the first informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States held in 2024, and the Trilateral Summit of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Pakistan held in Lachin this May.
Today, the ECO Summit is taking place in Khankendi, at the newly built Congress Center.
At present, large-scale reconstruction and development efforts are underway throughout the entire liberated Karabakh and East Zangezur regions.
Armenia had held nearly 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory under occupation for almost 30 years, conducting ethnic cleansing and expelling over one million of our fellow Azerbaijanis from their native lands.
The state of Azerbaijan and its people have never come to terms with the occupation. On numerous occasions, we made it clear to Armenia and the states supporting it that if Armenia failed to withdraw voluntarily from our occupied territories, we would resort to military force to restore our territorial integrity. Unfortunately, Armenia and its patrons did not take our warnings seriously - and eventually came to regret it.
In the course of a 44-day Patriotic War of 2020, Azerbaijan had crushed Armenia on the battlefield, and liberated over 300 cities and villages. Armenia had to sign the capitulation act on 10 November 2020.
During the occupation, Armenia razed our cities and villages to the ground, along with our cultural and religious sites. Armenia had demolished 65 of the 67 mosques; the remaining two were severely damaged and used as barns for cows and pigs. This was a clear act of disrespect and insult toward the Islamic faith and Muslims around the world.
Cemeteries, too, were vandalized - destroyed, and tombstones were looted and taken to Armenia.
A commission composed of state agencies, with the involvement of foreign experts and drawing on international experience, estimated that the damage caused to Azerbaijan as a result of the occupation amounted to nearly $150 billion.
Armenia planted more than one million mines on our territory. Since the Patriotic War, nearly 400 of our citizens have been killed or seriously injured by mine explosions.
Today, in the lands devastated by Armenia, new cities and villages are being built. The “Great Return” program is underway. So far, we have facilitated the return of former internally displaced persons to 16 cities and villages. More than 50,000 people now live, work, and study in the liberated territories.
Ensuring the rights of Azerbaijanis deported from Armenia is also a matter of significant importance. We highly appreciate a resolution affirming the right of return of Azerbaijanis forcibly displaced from Armenia, adopted by the unanimous decision of all 57 members at the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, last month.
The Istanbul Declaration, adopted alongside the resolution during the Council of Foreign Ministers session, reaffirms the right of Azerbaijanis displaced from present-day Armenia to return, and condemns Armenia's refusal to engage in dialogue with the Western Azerbaijan Community.
The efforts to ensure the peaceful return of the Western Azerbaijanis to their ancestral lands in Armenia will continue.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Azerbaijan has always been actively involved in the ECO’s activity. Our relations with the ECO member states have been developing successfully.
Last year, COP29 conference was held for the first time ever within the ECO region. This conference brought together participants from 197 countries, welcomed 70 heads of state and government, and recorded a total of 77,000 registrations.
Conference’s primary achievements included increasing the financial commitment from $100 billion to $300 billion, to support the developing nations, operationalizing Loss and Damage Fund, and reaching consensus on carbon markets.
This year, for the first time, ECO Week is being held at Azerbaijan’s initiative. The ECO Business Forum in Shusha, the Youth Forum in Aghdam, and the Women’s Forum in Lachin have taken place. The representatives who took part in the Forums will report to the Summit on their outcomes today.
Work is underway to ensure the launch of ECO’s Research Centre and Clean Energy Centre to be hosted by Azerbaijan.
I am grateful for the declaration of the city of Shusha as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2026.
The issues to be discussed today are of particular importance for deepening economic cooperation. Azerbaijan enjoys a very favorable investment climate. Over the past 20 years, approximately $350 billion has been invested in Azerbaijan’s economy, with foreign investments accounting for half of that amount.
Today, Azerbaijan ensures the energy security of several countries and exports natural gas to 12 countries through various pipelines. Based on this indicator, we hold top positions worldwide.
East-West and North-South transportation corridors run across Azerbaijan and most ECO member states use these corridors.
Dear friends,
I am confident that our today’s discussions will be fruitful and contribute positively to the further development of relations between our countries.
Thank you.
x x x
Then, the Chairman of the 16th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, delivered a speech.
Speech by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev
- Distinguished heads of delegations!
It is a great pleasure to meet with you in the ancient land of Karabakh, in the beautiful city of Khankendi, which embodies a unique historical and cultural heritage. As true brothers, we are delighted to witness this region becoming a place of peace and development. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to His Excellency, Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, for the high-level organization of the Economic Cooperation Organization’s Summit on this land and warm hospitality.
Since our historic meeting in Tashkent, significant progress has been made in strengthening the Organization’s institutional capacity and establishing cooperation in new areas. I would like to take this opportunity to underline the effective chairmanship of the Republic of Kazakhstan in our Organization.
We are also pleased by the fact that after a long break the delegation of the Interim Government of Afghanistan is taking part in our Summit. Indeed, we consider neighboring Afghanistan as an integral part of our Organization’s space, important member of broad economic cooperation and regional transport connectivity processes, and we widely support this.
Dear participants of the meeting!
Our Summit is taking place amid difficult circumstances, when the world community is going through a critical stage. This is particularly evident given that most conflicts and disputes are occurring within the very space of our Organization. The events that have occurred in South Asia and the Middle East in recent months have caused deep concern for all of us. The erosion of international law and global security institutions is further weakening the room for dialogue and cooperation, paving the way for the use of force and violence. In particular, the military actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, a member of our Organization, created the danger of dragging the entire region into war and triggering a large-scale environmental catastrophe. We therefore support the ceasefire agreement reached between Iran and Israel. We consider this decision as an important step towards reducing the tension in the region and restoring the stability. We believe that this agreement will provide a solid foundation for resolving all issues through diplomatic and constructive negotiations. Given that the non-proliferation and non-use of weapons of mass destruction are becoming one of the most pressing international security issues, we once again call on the global community to expand the geography of the nuclear-weapon-free zones. It must be noted that endurable peace and stability in the Middle East cannot be achieved without a fair and just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We call for the end of military actions in the Gaza Strip, the removal of all obstacles to providing humanitarian assistance to those suffering from hunger and inhumane conditions, and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine in accordance with the UN resolutions.
Distinguished participants of the Summit!
The foundation of any peace and development is based, first and foremost, on economic cooperation. Therefore, our partnership within the Organization is not only natural, but also of great strategic importance. In accordance with the agenda of the meeting, I would like to draw your attention to a number of issues. First of all, we need to clearly define the medium and long-term development priorities of our Organization. To this end, it is necessary to adopt the concept of “Strategic Goals of Economic Cooperation - 2035”. Along with the traditional areas, such as trade, investment, transport, energy, industry, agriculture, ecology, tourism and education, we should also pay a special attention to strengthening cooperation in innovation, artificial intelligence and digital technologies. Simplifying trade in goods and services, gradually eliminating technical and non-tariff barriers, and developing e-commerce are particularly relevant. I would also like to highlight that the current volume of our mutual trade remains low. In 2024, this figure stood at $95 billion, accounting for 10% of our countries’ total trade turnover. We propose holding a meeting of our trade ministers in Tashkent this year to discuss the strategic issues in this area and conclude Agreement on Trade Facilitation. Besides, it is very important to create a system of “Green Corridors” for the rapid data sharing on agricultural trade and unrestricted supply of goods. We put forward an initiative to adopt a long-term “Eco-Invest” Program to take our investment cooperation to a new level, and make the investment climate more transparent and attractive. The main goal of this program is to captivate private investors, banks, and international financial institutions to promising projects in our region. There is another priority area. The recent geopolitical events have once again demonstrated the risks of disruption of the supply chains, highlighting the strategic importance of establishing alternative transport corridors. The launch of the China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan railway project last year was a significant event. In the future, this railway will be connected with the Trans-Afghan corridor, effectively integrating transit networks across our vast region. We believe that it is time to implement the initiative to create a Digital Transport and Customs Office in order to systematically organize the digitalization of the transport and logistics sector, and we support intensifying negotiations at the expert level.
Our important tasks also include launching new air routes in the region, implementing innovative cooperation between airlines, and developing integrated marketing strategies between the tourism and aviation sectors. We propose organizing the National Airlines Forum in Samarkand to discuss these issues. We have enough potential to double tourist arrivals. Developing a Roadmap for the Expansion of Tourism Services within the Organization will help to achieve this goal.
I would also like to draw your attention to another important issue. It is essential that our countries coordinate and combine their efforts on the global climate agenda. We firmly support the full implementation of commitments and agreements reached at the successfully held COP29 Global Climate Summit in Baku. We propose developing a Transboundary “Green Initiative” within the Organization aimed at planting forests in desert areas and establishing recreational zones.
Distinguished heads of delegations!
We appreciate the High-Level Committee’s efforts to enhance the activity of our Organization. I believe you will support the idea of assigning the Committee to develop by the next Summit proposals and recommendations to reform and boost the Organization’s functions. These reforms will undoubtedly elevate our collaboration to a new level, strengthen the Organization’s international prestige and influence, and improve its work to meet modern requirements.
I am convinced that today’s Summit will give a new impetus to achieve our commitments and plans in elevating multifaceted and practical cooperation to a new level.
Thank you for your attention!
x x x
The event continued with other speeches.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized the importance of establishing a Free Trade Zone among the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member states and expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for hosting the 17th ECO Summit.
“Your Excellency, Honorable President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, I would like to express my gratitude to you and the esteemed Azerbaijani people for hosting the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization and for your generous hospitality.”
Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Zhaparov underscored the significance of advancing cooperation in renewable energy, digital technologies, and transport-logistics connectivity. He also addressed the impact of climate change on economic diversification and highlighted the importance of holding the ECO Summit in Khankendi.
“The holding of our meeting in the historic city of Khankendi, located in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region and a symbol of peace, carries special significance. Dear Ilham Heydar oglu, I express my heartfelt gratitude to you and the brotherly Azerbaijani people for your traditional warm hospitality and for the excellent organization of this event.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif praised the excellent organization of the Summit and specifically commended Azerbaijan’s efforts to strengthen the ECO.
“First, allow me to congratulate my dear brother, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, for successfully chairing the 17th Summit of the ECO. We are also grateful to him for the warm hospitality extended to us in the historic and beautiful city of Khankendi. Ladies and gentlemen, I would also like to note that I highly value the efforts you have made to deepen cooperation among the member states of our organization.”
Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon called for enhanced cooperation in trade, transport, energy, industry, and agriculture. He emphasized that broad and coordinated collaboration could effectively address modern challenges and expressed confidence that the Summit in Azerbaijan would contribute to the comprehensive development of relations.
“I would like to first express my gratitude to Esteemed Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, for the organization of today’s meeting and the warm reception. At the same time, dear Ilham Heydar oglu, I congratulate you on your election as the chair of our organization’s 17th Summit.”
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Khankendi, the Summit’s host city, would become a new hub for development and peace in the Caucasus region. He also congratulated Azerbaijan on the designation of Shusha as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2026.
“I express my gratitude to my brother, President Ilham Aliyev, all official representatives, and the Azerbaijani people for their warm hospitality in hosting us in this beautiful city. The organization of this Summit in the liberated city of Khankendi lends special significance and meaning to the event. I wholeheartedly believe that, thanks to my brother Ilham’s visionary approach, this ancient city will become a new hub of development and peace in the Caucasus.
I hope that today’s discussions, as well as the women’s, youth, and business forums held since July 1, will bring benefits to our countries and our region.
Dear brothers, I believe it is entirely appropriate that this Summit of our organization, which holds vast potential in fields ranging from trade to transport, environment to energy, is dedicated to addressing climate change. I would also like to inform you that the process of approving documents for the establishment of Clean Energy and Research Centers in Azerbaijan is in its final stages in our country.
On the occasion of Shusha’s declaration as the Economic Cooperation Organization ‘Tourism Capital’ for 2026, I extend my congratulations to all our Azerbaijani brothers, through my friend, President Ilham Aliyev.”
Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov stressed the importance of adopting the ECO 2035 Strategy and noted that hosting the Summit in Khankendi reflects Azerbaijan’s commitment to peace and development.
“First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, for his warm hospitality and for the excellent organization of this significant Summit in the historic and beautiful city of Khankendi. We consider it important that this Summit is being held in this city. At the same time, I convey the greetings of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to you. We view the hosting of this event here as a shining example of Azerbaijan’s commitment to peace, development, and regional integration. Undoubtedly, the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization, held under Azerbaijan’s chairmanship, will provide a new impetus to the further development of regional partnership.”
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijan for organizing the 17th ECO Summit, adding that Afghanistan is interested in establishing strategic relations with ECO member states.
“I sincerely thank the President of Azerbaijan for the hospitality shown to us and the excellent conditions provided. This prestigious Summit took place here. The Summit is a significant historic moment and serves as a guide for us. It is an event that promotes regional cooperation, mutual understanding, and progress.”
Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov emphasized that the Economic Cooperation Organization serves as a vital platform for developing multilateral cooperation and thanked Azerbaijan for the invitation.
“First, allow me to express my gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, for the invitation sent to the leadership of Turkmenistan to participate in today’s Summit. Taking this opportunity, I would like to convey the greetings and deep respect of the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, to the heads of the ECO member states, the heads of government, and the President of Azerbaijan. On behalf of the Turkmen delegation, I wish to sincerely thank the Azerbaijani side for the excellent organization of the ECO Summit and the warm hospitality.”
President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ersin Tatar expressed satisfaction with the successful reconstruction of Azerbaijan’s liberated territories and praised the organization of such a prestigious Summit in the historic and ancient Azerbaijani city of Khankendi.
“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to my brother, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, for hosting this important Summit, as well as to the Economic Cooperation Organization, represented by Secretary General Mr. Asad Majeed Khan.
We are especially pleased that this meeting is being held in the historic and ancient city of Khankendi, in the brotherly country of dear Azerbaijan. The revival of these native lands in just five short years under the leadership of the Conqueror of Karabakh, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, and through unparalleled national unity, makes us proud as well. Karabakh is Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan is Karabakh!”
Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thanked Azerbaijan for its warm hospitality as the Summit host.
"I express my gratitude to the Government and people of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the invitation and sincere hospitality. I would like to thank Mr. Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, for hosting this important Summit at a time when the global community stands at a critical crossroads amid economic uncertainty. In addition, we thank His Excellency for granting accreditation to the Embassy of Nigeria in the Republic of Azerbaijan 20 years ago."
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), specifically commended Azerbaijan’s efforts in combating climate change.
“I express my sincere gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for his leadership in advancing multilateral cooperation - as the initiator of the first Summit of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia, and for hosting both the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference and this ECO Summit. This meeting, while reflecting ECO’s vision for 2025, also takes place within the framework of the new ECO direction for a climate-resilient future aimed at redefining the organization’s common path toward sustainability and economic resilience.
Last year, for the first time, the global average temperature rose more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Recent forecasts indicate that the global temperature will remain at or near this level over the next five years. While this does not yet constitute a permanent breach of the Paris Agreement threshold, it clearly signals that the window for decisive action is rapidly closing.
I would like to take this opportunity to invite you all to the 82nd session of our Commission, to be held in Baku in April 2026. The theme of that session will be fostering inclusiveness, leaving no one behind, and developing societies. I thank His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, for his support for this important initiative.”
Additionally, Türkiye’s Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov, and Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan Syeda Anah Batool delivered speeches.
In conclusion, ECO Secretary General Asad Majeed Khan noted that, thanks to the foresight of President Ilham Aliyev, many firsts have been achieved under Azerbaijan’s leadership. He emphasized that Azerbaijan is not only setting new standards for the ECO but is also strengthening solidarity within the organization.
“We express our deepest gratitude to His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev for his high-level oversight of the preparations for this historic Summit held in the beautiful city of Khankendi - a city that today stands as a powerful symbol of courage, resilience, and revival.
Your Excellency, thanks to your leadership and foresight, a number of important firsts have been achieved at this Summit. For the first time, during this ECO Summit, we were able to bring together not only regional leaders and distinguished guests, but also the entire ECO family as part of the inaugural ECO Week. This was held as part of the first ECO Week. Furthermore, for the first time in the history at this Summit, we involved not only governments but also other stakeholders - including women, youth, and the private sector - in the development of ECO’s new strategic objectives up to 2035.
It is clear that Azerbaijan has not only set a new standard and introduced new benchmarks for ECO summits, but has also taken a significant step toward fostering the spirit of ECO family unity. We hope that future summits will build upon this valuable experience.”
x x x
President Ilham Aliyev concluded the Summit, saying:
- Distinguished heads of state and government,
Distinguished participants of the Summit,
Dear friends,
The 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) has come to an end.
I express my gratitude to each of you for your participation, ideas, and proposals.
The Khankendi Summit has become yet another clear example of our friendship.
I am confident that the ideas and proposals voiced here will be summarized by the Secretariat and taken into account in ECO’s future activities, including the preparation of the development document for 2026-2035.
I would like to thank the ECO Secretary General, Mr. Asad Khan, and the Secretariat for their support in organizing the Summit, as well as the Business Forum, Youth Forum, and Women’s Forum.
Finally, I would like to thank the participants and speakers of the forums who contributed to ECO Week.
Thus, the Summit is hereby declared closed. Once again, I express my sincere gratitude to each of you. Thank you.
