Publish Date: 27 February 2017 - 11:44

TEHRAN, Feb. 27 (MNA) – Iran’s FM Zarif has left for Pakistani capital Islamabad on Monday to take part in the 22nd Meeting of the ECO Council of Foreign Ministers (COM) on 28 February.

The 22nd Meeting of the ECO Council of Foreign Ministers (COM) will convene on 28 February in Islamabad to make final preparations for the 13th Economic Cooperation Organization Summit on Wednesday.

During the COM meeting on Tuesday, Iran as the current head of the ECO Council of Foreign Ministers, will hand over the rotating presidency to Pakistan.

Tehran hosted the 21st COM meeting in November 2013 where the presidency was passed to Iran from the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In addition to participation at the COM meeting, Javad Zarif will also hold talks with a number of his counterparts and other senior officials from the participating countries.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will depart for Islamabad on Tuesday to take part in the ECO Summit of heads of states on Wednesday. This will be Rouhani’s second visit to Pakistan since 2016. During his March visit to Islamabad, Rouhani discussed with senior Pakistani officials ways to further strengthen trade and economic relations.

ECO is an intergovernmental regional organization which was established in 1985 and includes ten countries of Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan.

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