Northern Cyprus participated in the summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization

The 16th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) is currently underway in Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital.

President Ersin Tatar of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is participating as an observer.

Hosted by Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Congress Center in Tashkent, the summit's attendees include Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, Pakistan's Acting Prime Minister Anwar Ul Haq Kakar, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz Republic's President Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmenistan's President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

The TRNC, an observer member of the ECO since its establishment in 1985, is participating in the summit, which is held biennially and is being hosted by Uzbekistan for the first time.

During his visit to Tashkent for the 16th ECO Summit, President Tatar met with ECO Secretary General Khusraw Noziri.

President Tatar highlighted the significant economic potential of the ECO region, which has a combined population exceeding 500 million, and underscored the importance of the TRNC's relations with the ECO.

He also remarked on the longstanding embargo against the Turkish Cypriots and the stalemate after 60 years of negotiations, advocating for the Turkish-supported two-state solution.

ECO Secretary General Noziri acknowledged the challenges and aspirations of the Turkish Cypriots, expressing support for their efforts to enhance international relations.