Iran Press/ Iran News: Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, stating that opposition to unilateralism and protection of multilateralism are important priorities of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, said: "Iran, while maintaining proportion and balance in its foreign relations with different parts of the world, places a special emphasis on its neighbors and the historical, civilizational and religious continent of Asia, where we all live."
Speaking on Tuesday at the opening of the second conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Economic Cooperation Organization (PAECO) held in Pakistan via video-conferencing, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the ECO Parliamentary Assembly has provided this opportunity for the member states which can assist the governments in achieving the ECO's lofty goals through effective legal and regulatory support.
The current century belongs to Asia and the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said, adding that while maintaining balance and proportion in its foreign relations with different parts of the world, Tehran emphasizes a special look at the neighbors and the historical, civilizational and religious continent of Asia.
"With an area of 8 million square kilometers and a population of nearly half a billion people, the ECO region is rich in divine blessings and bounties. This important region boasts massive natural and human resources and unique geographical location, connecting Europe to China and the Far East while linking Russia and Central Asia to the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean," he noted.
"Today, the ECO Parliamentary Assembly has given us, as representatives of the people of the Member States, the opportunity to assist our governments in achieving the ECO's lofty goals with effective legal and regulatory support. The smart choice of the theme of this meeting, that is, "promoting parliamentary participation with the aim of regional integration," is a valuable opportunity to take great steps in this direction, God willing," the parliament speaker added.
"It is gratifying that in recent years appropriate measures have been adopted to develop economic cooperation within the framework of ECO. However, despite the valuable efforts taken to build the necessary infrastructure and diversify institutionalization in ECO, the achievements are not commensurate with the potentials and things are sluggish. Undoubtedly, this summit will provide an important opportunity for consultation, exchange of views and remedial of shortcomings and triggering a dynamic and forward-looking movement," he continued.
"I emphasize that the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, from the very beginning, warmly welcomed and supported the proposal of Pakistan National Assembly to establish ECO and immediately kick-started the internal process of approving its statute," Ghalibaf said.
We believe that PAECO, while building a parliamentary network, can consult and interact with its counterparts in other ECO member countries and provide the necessary parliamentary support for regional cooperation, especially in the harsh economic context of the COVID-19 pandemic," he added.
"Undoubtedly, the development of such a mechanism will not only benefit the governments of the member states in accepting commitments within the framework of parliamentary support but also will further encourage the private sector of the countries in terms of participation in projects and cooperation in the region," he stressed.
"Opposition to unilateralism and safeguarding multilateralism are important priorities of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran. Also, the collective efforts of aligned countries to achieve a just and non-discriminatory international economic system and through it, to achieve economic growth, balanced development, welfare and well-being of the people, preservation of national and religious values and cultures, and to secure appropriate positions in international relations have always been supported by the representatives of the people in the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran. From this perspective, the ECO and its activities are supported by us," Iran's parliament speaker noted.
"The Islamic Consultative Assembly has used and will utilize all its legislative capacities to assist the private and public sectors of Iran to play a more active and effective role in the framework of ECO cooperation; And is fully prepared to actively participate in the implementation of the agreements reached to make the ECO Parliamentary Assembly as effective as possible," he said.
"I would like to emphasize that the Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the founders of ECO, will spare no effort in strengthening the bond between its members and boost its capabilities. In this regard, the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, as the Assembly of Representatives of the Iranian nation registers its readiness to remove legal barriers and facilitate the cooperation of members to achieve the goals of the ECO," he concluded.
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