The meeting of interior ministers from ECO member states has started in Tehran. This meeting is hosted by Iran on October 27-28, after a 15-year break. The summit is seen as a key step in line with the policies of Iran’s 14th government and aims to strengthen interaction with neighboring and regional countries.
According to Iran’s Interior Minister, the agenda will include border diplomacy, cultural exchanges, and urban diplomacy. The Deputy Interior Minister expressed hope that the final statement of the summit will reflect the participating countries’ commitment to regional development and security, as well as the expansion of cooperation, interactions, and economic coordination among the member states.
Iranian President Highlights Need for ECOPOL at ECO Interior Ministers’ Meeting
In his opening remarks at the ECO Interior Ministers’ Meeting, the President of Iran emphasized the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) as a vital platform for regional dialogue, experience-sharing, and cooperation across multiple sectors.
The President noted that in a rapidly changing world, regional collaboration is not optional but an essential necessity. He highlighted one of the unfinished initiatives within the ECO framework: the establishment of the ECO Police, known as ECOPOL, which has not yet been fully realized.
“The ECO region remains one of the few regions globally without a joint police force,” he said, warning that this gap creates internal vulnerabilities and limits the region’s ability to cooperate effectively with other regional police organizations and Interpol.
Iranian President Calls for Regional Security Architecture at ECO Summit
In his speech, Iranian President warned of persistent foreign threats and interventions in the region. He highlighted that the region has witnessed some of the largest occupations, genocides, and crimes against humanity in modern history, citing West Asia and Gaza as recent examples.
“The highest number of foreign interventions in modern history has occurred in our region, and the most horrific acts of genocide and crimes against humanity have taken place here,” the Pezeshkian said, criticizing international aggressors and norm-breakers seeking to interfere and establish a presence in the area.
He stressed the urgent need for ECO member states, along with neighboring countries in Central Asia, the Caucasus, South and West Asia, and the Persian Gulf, to develop a cohesive, stabilizing, indigenous, and development-oriented regional security architecture.
The meeting will continue today in Tehran.
F.abedi - Mahboubeh Habibi
