ANTALYA, Türkiye, April 17. Economic Cooperation Organization is launching joint projects with Azerbaijan in the regional energy market, ECO Secretary General Asad Majeed Khan told Trend's special correspondent on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum.
According to him, the organization is already conducting practical work with Azerbaijan to develop regional energy initiatives.
"We are working closely, both through CSECO and the Energy Ministry, to work on the Regional Energy Market Initiative," he said.
Majeed Khan outlined that this work is aimed at developing specific mechanisms for cooperation in the energy sector between the countries of the region.
"We are working on this area together with Azerbaijan," he added.
He emphasized that the cooperation also covers new institutional projects of ECO in Azerbaijan.
"Azerbaijan is the first country to host two new ECO institutions. One is the Clean Energy Center for ECO, which is CSECO, and then the ECO Research Center, which will also be hosting the ECO Journal, which is going to basically assist the organization in carrying out evidence-based research," Asad Majeed Khan emphasized.
According to him, the organization has already launched a number of initiatives within the framework of COP29.
"During COP29 on the margins, we also launched the Rescue Initiative, which is basically the circular economy initiative that ECO has taken," he said.
Secretary General outlined that the present geopolitical environment lends greater urgency and relevance to those activities.
"Geographic contiguity has become ever more relevant today, both in terms of trade integration, transport connectivity, and also energy supply safety and security of energy supply routes," Asad Majeed Khan added.
He also announced that ECO will host its ECO Tourism Ministers' Meeting in Baku and will announce Shusha as the organization's Tourism Capital for 2026.