Azerbaijan, Baku, March 11 / Trend , D.Khatinoglu/
Azerbaijan and Afghanistan have gained most votes among the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member countries in the elections of the ECO Secretary General. Azerbaijan relinquished its seat to Afghanistan.
Afghan ambassador to Iran Yahya Maroufi became the ECO Secretary General. This decision was taken at the ECO summit in Tehran on March 11, the Iranian state television (IRIB) reported.
The Economic Cooperation Organization was established as an interstate structure in 1985 to strengthen economic, technical and cultural cooperation among Turkey, Iran and Pakistan.
Azerbaijan was officially admitted to the ECO in 1993. Central Asian countries joined the organization in the same time. Current ECO members are Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
The summit involved the presidents of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Tajikistan and Iraq, the vice-president of Syria and the Emir of Qatar.
