President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, will participate in the 17th Summit of Heads of State of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), scheduled for July 4 in Azerbaijan, according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The summit will be held in the city of Khankendi and will focus on the theme: “ECO’s New Vision for a Reliable and Climate-Resilient Future”, reports Azertag.az.

Leaders from ECO member states, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan, are expected to attend the high-level meeting.

During the summit, participants will discuss collective measures by member states to combat climate change. Key issues on the agenda also include enhancing regional trade, energy cooperation, transportation networks, sustainable development, and social inclusion.

In addition, the summit will feature the official opening of the ECO Clean Energy Center, aimed at promoting green energy solutions across the region.

This summit, which is taking place in Khankendi, marks the first time a summit has been held in the Karabakh region.  The summit is reportedly expected to bring together Heads of State/Government, Ministers, and representatives from international organizations to discuss regional cooperation and sustainable development.

The Economic Cooperation Organization or ECO is a Eurasian political and economic intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1985 in Tehran by the leaders of Iran, Pakistan, and Turkiye.  It provides a platform to discuss ways to improve development and promote trade and investment opportunities.  The ECO is an ad hoc organization under the United Nations Charter.  The objective is to establish a single market for goods and services, much like the European Union.  After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the ECO expanded to include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in 1992.