ECO - was founded in 1985 and is the legal successor of the Organization for Regional Cooperation and Development. ECO operates on the basis of the Charter - the Izmir Treaty, signed by the three founding members - the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Turkish Republic in March 1977.

Until early 1992, cooperation within the framework of the ECO was mainly bilateral. Since 1992, the activity of the Organization has significantly intensified due to the accession of 7 new states - Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The activities of the ECO Secretariat are carried out through the directorates under the supervision of the Secretary General and his deputies, who review and develop mutually beneficial projects and programs in the following areas:

• Trade and investment;

• Transport and telecommunications;

• Energy, mineral resources and environmental protection;

• Agriculture, industry and tourism;

• Human resources and sustainable development;

• Project and economic research and statistics;

• International relationships.

The Council of Foreign Ministers is the main body that determines the policy of the Organization and makes decisions. The Council consists of foreign ministers or representatives appointed by the government of a member state.

The Secretary General is elected and appointed by the COM for a period of 3 years without the possibility of re-appointment from among the nominations submitted by member countries.

The objectives of ECO:

• Sustainable economic development of member countries.

• Progressive elimination of trade barriers and promotion of intra-regional trade; enhancing the role of the ECO region in world trade; gradual integration of economic systems of member countries into the world economy.

• Development of transport and communication infrastructure linking member countries with each other and the world community.

• Economic liberalization and privatization.

• Mobilization and use of the material resources of the ECO region.

• Effective use of the agricultural and industrial potential of the ECO region.

• Regional cooperation on drug control, environmental protection and environmental protection and strengthening of historical and cultural ties among the peoples of the ECO region.

• Mutually beneficial cooperation with regional and international organizations.

Cooperation within the framework of ECO is based on the principles of sovereign equality, mutual respect and partnership of member states. The main tasks of ECO are the creation of favorable conditions for economic development, the consistent and gradual integration of the states of the region into the world economic relations system through the establishment of mutually beneficial intra-regional economic cooperation and mutual assistance in various aspects of socio-cultural and scientific and technological development.

Among the basic directions of cooperation within the framework of ECO for the Kyrgyz Republic, trade and investment, transport and communications, energy are at the most priority.

The Kyrgyz Republic views ECO as a platform for multilateral cooperation on the basis of the common economic interests of the countries of the vast region and the development of bilateral relations with the members of the Organization.