“A rise in security problems in a country has an undeniable effect on security and the economic atmosphere in each of the regional governments and ECO members,” Purmohammadi told the first conference of ECO interior ministers dubbed "Security, Stability and Sustainable Development".
Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan are the member states of the organization. Four interior ministers, five deputy interior ministers, and Uzbekistan's ambassador to Tehran are attending the meeting.
He said ECO intends to achieve economic development through integration of its members, which requires a sound security environment.
The year 2015 has been set as the target date for achieving a prosperous ECO free trade area.
ECO members are facing challenging problems, such as terrorism, organized crime, money laundering, human trafficking, illegal immigration, drugs and arms trafficking, the Iranian interior minister stated, adding that these problems have limited the opportunity for economic activities.
He suggested that the members of the trade bloc should find solutions to tackle these problems and to be able to take firm steps to achieve the economic goal set for 2015, according to which ECO would be able to rival other regional economic blocs.
Purmohammadi said Iran’s long and costly campaign against drug trafficking has exacerbated the country’s security, economic, and social situation. “Despite the military presence of the U.S. and NATO in Afghanistan, poppy cultivation has increased by 50 percent in the current year and has reached 6,100 tons per year.”
“Drug trafficking is the main source of terrorism,” he observed.
He called on ECO states to pay particular attention to this phenomenon.
Drug trafficking fuels illegal immigration and organized crime, and all regional countries and even those outside the region, including European countries, must help pay the cost of combating this scourge, he added.
Common threats must be addressed collectively: ECO chief
In his address to the ECO conference, ECO Secretary General Khurshid Anwar said, “We should cooperate to effectively confront the factors that threaten the security of development of ECO member states. We have to formulate a practical and comprehensive plan.
“Terrorism and international organized crime are ECO members’ common enemy; (but) overcoming them is beyond a single country’s ability… We need a collective response.”
MS/HG
End
MNA
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