2^nd ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment

PRESS RELEASE

The 2^nd ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment was held on 6 October 2004 in Istanbul, Turkey and was preceded by the Senior Officials meeting on 4-5 October 2004. The delegations of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Turkey and Turkmenistan participated at the meeting as well as ECO Secretary General with his staff. The representatives of United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Islamic Development Bank (IDB) also attended the meeting.

The meeting was inaugurated by H.E. Mr. Osman Pepe, Minister of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Turkey, and H.E. Mr. Askhat Orazbay, ECO Secretary General.

The Ministers/Heads of Delegation delivered their statements on the state of the Environment in their respective countries covering the national policies and programs concerning environmental issues as well as regional cooperation in the field of environment.

The meeting emphasized the need for the ECO Member States' Environment Ministers/Agencies to work together towards the effective and full implementation of the Plan of Action for Cooperation among ECO Member States on Environment (2003-2007) adopted at the first ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment held on 15 December 2002 in Tehran adopted several amendments to it which were suggested by the first meeting of the ECO Working Group on Environment held on 7-8 April 2004 in Ankara and endorsed a number of projects/proposals made by some Member States for the implementation of the Plan of Action.  

            The Ministers/Heads of Delegation also discussed international cooperation in the field of environment of ECO and appreciated its growing relations with UNESCAP, UNEP, WMO and IDB as well as the ECO Secretariat's efforts in promoting ECO international cooperation in particular signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with UNEP and upcoming signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with WMO.

The Ministers/Heads of Delegation adopted the Istanbul Communiqué on Cooperation in the field of Environment in which they stressed the regional cooperation on environment and promotion of environmental awareness in the ECO Region.

            At the end of the 2^nd ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment a tree planting ceremony was held with the participation of the delegations from ECO Member States and international organizations representatives.

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