Pakistan Hosts ECO Foreign Ministers in Islamabad on 15 and 16 November 2026, Ishaq Dar to Chair
Pakistan hosts the 30th ECO Council of Ministers in Islamabad on 15 and 16 November 2026. Ishaq Dar chairs it, and a 2035 economic plan goes to the ministers.
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Short answer: Pakistan hosts the 30th meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers in Islamabad on 15 and 16 November 2026. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will chair it. Foreign ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member states will attend. Pakistan chairs ECO for 2026 to 2027.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the meeting on 14 November. Officials meet first, then the ministers. Pakistan's theme for its year as chair is "Reviving Regionalism for a Resilient ECO", with the focus on roads, rail, trade and supply chains across the region.
The ECO Council of Ministers meets in Islamabad on 15 and 16 November
The 30th ECO Council of Ministers meets in Islamabad on 15 and 16 November 2026, chaired by Ishaq Dar. Foreign ministers and heads of delegations from the ECO member states attend, with the ECO Secretariat and its subsidiary bodies.
The Council of Ministers is ECO's highest decision-making body. It is made up of the foreign ministers of the member states. It approves the organisation's policies, strategies and work programmes, its annual budget, and each country's share of that budget. It also appoints the Secretary General and senior staff.
A meeting of senior officials, called the SOM, comes first. The officials review ECO's programmes and the work of its subsidiary bodies. They also settle the agenda and the draft outcome documents that the ministers will then consider.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Meeting | 30th ECO Council of Ministers (COM) |
| Dates | 15 and 16 November 2026 |
| City | Islamabad |
| Chair | Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister |
| Before it | Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) |
| Pakistan's role | Chair of ECO for 2026 to 2027 |
| Theme | Reviving Regionalism for a Resilient ECO |
Pakistan chairs ECO for 2026 to 2027 and wants trade routes through it
Pakistan chairs ECO for 2026 to 2027. The Foreign Office says the chair year aims to present Pakistan as a regional connectivity hub, a link in supply chains for goods, and a country that sets the agenda for regional trade.
The ministry's statement lists three aims for the year:
- Stronger regional connectivity, meaning road, rail and transit links between member states.
- Deeper regional integration, so that trade and investment move more easily.
- A more active ECO as a platform for dialogue and economic work.
For Pakistan, the practical interest is transit. Central Asian states have no sea coast. Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar are among their nearest ports. Every route from Pakistan to Central Asia passes through Afghanistan or Iran, and both are ECO members. Trade at both of those borders has been disrupted this autumn, as our reports on the Taftan and Gabd suspension and the Afghan border closure set out.
A 2035 economic plan goes to the ministers for decision
The ministers will consider a new ten year plan, the Strategic Goals of Economic Cooperation 2035. ECO's permanent representatives reviewed it in Tehran on 8 November 2026 and sent it to the Islamabad meeting. Approval is still to come.
That Tehran meeting was the 312th session of ECO's Council of Permanent Representatives, the ambassadors who run the organisation's work between ministerial meetings. It was chaired by Pakistan's ambassador, Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, the current chairman of that council. ECO Secretary General Dr Asad M. Khan attended.
The ambassadors also reviewed preparations for the Islamabad meeting and for the 18th ECO Summit of heads of state and government. ECO's last plan, ECO Vision 2025, was adopted at the 13th ECO Summit in Islamabad on 1 March 2017. Its end date has now passed, which is why a 2035 plan is on the table.
Ten countries and more than 460 million people are in ECO
ECO has ten member states with more than 460 million people over about 8 million square kilometres. Pakistan, Iran and Türkiye founded it in 1964 as Regional Cooperation for Development. It took the name ECO in 1985.
Seven more countries joined in the early 1990s: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and five Central Asian states. The full list on ECO's own site is below.
- Afghanistan
- Azerbaijan
- Iran
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyz Republic
- Pakistan
- Tajikistan
- Türkiye
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
The ECO Secretariat is in Tehran. Pakistan chairs both the Council of Ministers and the council of ambassadors this year, so it sets the pace on what reaches the table.
Nothing is decided yet, and the outcome documents come after the meeting
So far, only the meeting, its chair and its theme are confirmed. The 2035 plan and the outcome documents are drafts until the ministers adopt them on 16 November. Any trade or transit step after that still needs action by each government.
| Item | Stage on 14 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Islamabad meeting, 15 and 16 November | Announced by the Foreign Office |
| Pakistan as ECO chair, 2026 to 2027 | In place |
| Strategic Goals of Economic Cooperation 2035 | Sent to the ministers, not yet approved |
| Outcome documents | Drafts, to be finalised by senior officials |
| 18th ECO Summit | Preparations under review, date not announced |
On 13 November, Ishaq Dar also chaired a Foreign Office meeting on preparations for the ECO ministers' meeting and for the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting that Islamabad is to host in 2027, according to the government's press release. The SCO, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, is a separate group that includes China and Russia. Pakistan is also leading another economic group this year: it took the G-24 chair from 1 November.
What this meeting can mean for traders and travellers
The meeting does not change any tariff, visa or border rule by itself. Its value for Pakistani traders depends on whether the 2035 plan leads to working transit routes, easier customs at the border and steady crossings with Iran and Afghanistan.
People who travel in the region should keep following each country's own rules. Pakistanis heading to Iran for business or pilgrimage can check the Pakistan Iran border crossing hours, and those going to Azerbaijan can read the current Azerbaijan visa rules for Pakistanis. We will report the outcome documents once the Foreign Office or ECO publishes them.
Common questions
When is the ECO Council of Ministers meeting in Islamabad?
On 15 and 16 November 2026. A meeting of senior officials comes first, then the foreign ministers meet.
Who chairs the ECO meeting?
Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. Pakistan chairs ECO for 2026 to 2027.
What is ECO?
The Economic Cooperation Organization is a regional group of ten countries from South Asia, West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. It began in 1964 as Regional Cooperation for Development and took its present name in 1985.
Which countries are members of ECO?
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
What is Pakistan's theme as ECO chair?
"Reviving Regionalism for a Resilient ECO", with the focus on regional connectivity and deeper trade links.
Will the meeting change visa or trade rules?
Not by itself. Ministers can approve plans and documents, but any change to visas, tariffs or border crossings needs separate action by each government.
How we verified this
What we checked and where we read it.
We checked these facts on 14 November 2026. The meeting dates, chair, Senior Officials Meeting and Pakistan's theme and aims are from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs curtain raiser of 14 November on mofa.gov.pk. The Tehran meeting of 8 November, the 2035 plan and the 18th Summit are from the ECO Secretariat's own report on eco.int. ECO's history, membership, population and area are from its history and member states pages, and the Council of Ministers' role from its COM page. The 13 November preparations meeting is from the government's Press Information Department release of that date. The ECO member list page names ten states; its population figure is a rounded "more than 460 million".
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
