DUSHANBE , October 23, Asia-Plus – The Council of Ministers (COM) of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) held its 17th annual meeting in Herat , Afghanistan , Saturday.

The meeting was kicked off with inaugural speech of the ECO Secretary General Khurshid Anwar.

Iran , Afghanistan , Pakistan , Tajikistan , and Turkey attended the meeting at foreign ministerial level while Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan participated at the deputy foreign minister level. Uzbekistan was represented at the meeting by its ambassador.

Heads of ECO regional institutions and specialized agencies as well as representatives of international organizations also participated at the meetings.

Iran ''s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki briefed the audience on Iran ''s stands regarding cooperation among ECO member states, and the past programs and activities of the organization.   He also set forth Iran ''s new proposals on expansion of ECO activities.

The 17th COM session took place amid important developments on the regional and international plans, it provided a useful opportunity for the foreign ministers of neighboring regional states to hold bilateral meetings.

It reviewed progresses made in the sectors of trade and transport, energy and environment, industry and agriculture as well as counternarcotics and transnational crimes since the previous COM meeting held in Baku , Azerbaijan in May 2006.    

COM is the highest decision-making body of ECO. The next meeting of the council of ministers as well as the ECO summit would be held in Pakistan in 2008.