Rouhani : World Economy’s Heart to Beat in Asia

Iran says Asia is to take the lead from the rest of the world in economic supremacy from the second half of the 21st century onwards.

“The world economy’s heart is to beat in Asia from the second half of the present century” President Hassan Rouhani said at the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)’s 13th plenary session in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Wednesday.

The inter governmental regional organization was founded by Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey back in 1985. It also groups Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The body works toward ensuring that its members witness steady economic progress while also working to facilitate better cooperation among them.

 “Emerging Asian economies will be changing the course of the world economy from the West toward the East. This change will turn the 21st century to the century of Asia’s supremacy,” President Rouhani further said at the forum.

 Economic assessments, the Iranian chief executive said, showed that change in the economic position of some of ECO’s influential members over the next decade will again make the organization “the key to West-East interaction in the Asia of the future.”

JCPOA creates new opportunities for global, regional cooperation, says Rouhani

Meanwhile, visiting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday described the historic nuclear deal as a great achievement not only for Iran but for the entire region.

President Rouhani made the remarks in his address to the 13th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit opened in Pakistan capital Islamabad on March 1.

He underlined that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has paved the way for expansion of more economic cooperation in the region and facilitated the relations of Iran and the world.

President Rouhani, heading a delegation, arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday (Feb 28).

During the summit, new decisions for development of the ECO region and expanding economic and trade activates among the member states will be approved.

ECO is a ten-member regional organization, which includes Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Pakistan is hosting the ECO summit for the second time. The last ECO Summit was held in October 2012 in Baku.

The ECO Summit is expected to review the state of affairs of ECO in the light of the new and emerging global and regional circumstances and agree on the course of actions ECO should follow in expanding regional economic cooperation among its Member States. The new ECO Vision 2025 is also expected to be adopted in Islamabad meetings.

PRESS T.V, IRNA

R.S