What Is The History Of ECO?

The ECO was established in 1985 as a trilateral organization of Iran, Pakistan and Turkey to promote multi-dimensional regional cooperation with a view to creating conditions for sustained socio-economic growth in the member states. Its aims and objectives as its modes of operation were identical to those of its forerunner, the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD), which remained in existence from 1964 to 1979. Subsequently, the organization was restructured and revived under the present name ECO.

The Treaty of Izmir signed in 1977 as the legal framework for the RCD and later adopted as the basic charter of ECO was modified to provide a proper legal basis to ECO's transition from RCD at the Ministerial Meeting held in Islamabad in June 1990. Following the amendment in the Treaty of Izmir ECO was fully launched in early 1991.

The break-up of the former Soviet Union led to the independence of Republics of Central Asia and Caucasus. In their bid to open up to the outside world and as a manifestation of their urge to revive their historic affinities with the peoples of Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, six of these Republics, namely Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan along with Afghanistan sought the membership of ECO and were admitted into the organization.