ISTANBUL
\nPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday welcomed the prospects of expansion of Economic Cooperation Organization\u2019s (ECO) outreach to the landlocked Central Asian Republics (CARs) for exploring wider economic and trade dividends of the region.
\nTalking to President of ECO Trade and Development Bank during a signing ceremony of financial assistance to Pakistan, the prime minister welcomed the prospects of inclusion of CARs in the ECO.
\nThe prime minister further suggested hosting of ECO members countries\u2019 summit including the CARs with proper agenda after consensus which would give a push to the economic activities and regional cooperation.
\nThe prime minister urged the ECO to further tap potential of Central Asian countries which had a huge population and offering diverse potential of railways and land network connectivity.
\nHe said developing countries like Pakistan required foreign investment and the CARs could be connected via Afghanistan, and these linkages would broaden the economic relations among all the regional countries.
\nHe opined that economic priority was on the ECO agenda and further prospects could provide further opportunities to the developing countries like Pakistan.
\nThe prime minister termed the idea as \u2018a game changer\u2019, adding the Gwadar port would serve as hub for transporting gas to the world.
\nHe opined that railroads and roads connectivity would shape the regional landscape, through a vision of three-way economic cooperation. The countries rich with the natural resources could export their goods through these linkages, he added.
\nHe also invited the president of the bank to visit Pakistan.
\nEUR 150 million financial assistance from ECO Trade and Development Bank would also be utilized for flood relief.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISTANBUL Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday welcomed the prospects of expansion of Economic Cooperation Organization\u2019s (ECO) outreach to the landlocked Central Asian Republics (CARs) for exploring wider economic and trade dividends of the region. Talking to President of ECO Trade and Development Bank during a signing ceremony of financial assistance to Pakistan, the prime […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":297735,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-297705","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n