The 3rd meeting of the Foreign Minister's of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) was held today in New York. It was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore, Professor S Jayakumar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr Kamal Kharrazi, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr Kassymgomart Tokaev, the Secretary-General of ECO, Mr Onder Ozar and representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN and ECO member states.

The Ministerial Meeting reviewed the trend of cooperation between the two organisations since the 2nd meeting last year. It took note of the reports of the ECO Secretary-General and the representative of the ASEAN Secretariat. The Meeting expressed satisfaction with the recent evolution of cooperation between the two organisations, particularly with the fruitful results of the first visit of an ECO delegation of senior officials to the ASEAN region. It was underlined that exchange of visits of senior officials and businessmen will pave the way for a propitious environment in which to undertake joint efforts to establish a workable mechanism for cooperation.

The Ministerial Meeting agreed to work out specific and practical proposals regarding modalities for cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, transport, communications, energy, human resource development and narcotics control. In this regard, the Meeting welcomed the ASEAN proposal for a "ASEAN-ECO Workshop on International Trade" which could be held in New York in 1998 on the sidelines of the 53rd UN General Assembly.

It was also agreed that the two Secretaries-General would continue to explore, in consultation with member states, an institutional framework of cooperation between the two organisations.

The Secretaries-General of ASEAN and ECO will report on the results of their respective efforts and programmes aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two organisations to the 4th Ministerial Meeting to be held during the 53rd session of the UN General Assembly.

The 3rd meeting of the Foreign Minister's of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) was held today in New York. It was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore, Professor S Jayakumar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr Kamal Kharrazi, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr Kassymgomart Tokaev, the Secretary-General of ECO, Mr Onder Ozar and representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN and ECO member states.

The Ministerial Meeting reviewed the trend of cooperation between the two organisations since the 2nd meeting last year. It took note of the reports of the ECO Secretary-General and the representative of the ASEAN Secretariat. The Meeting expressed satisfaction with the recent evolution of cooperation between the two organisations, particularly with the fruitful results of the first visit of an ECO delegation of senior officials to the ASEAN region. It was underlined that exchange of visits of senior officials and businessmen will pave the way for a propitious environment in which to undertake joint efforts to establish a workable mechanism for cooperation.

The Ministerial Meeting agreed to work out specific and practical proposals regarding modalities for cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, transport, communications, energy, human resource development and narcotics control. In this regard, the Meeting welcomed the ASEAN proposal for a "ASEAN-ECO Workshop on International Trade" which could be held in New York in 1998 on the sidelines of the 53rd UN General Assembly.

It was also agreed that the two Secretaries-General would continue to explore, in consultation with member states, an institutional framework of cooperation between the two organisations.

The Secretaries-General of ASEAN and ECO will report on the results of their respective efforts and programmes aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two organisations to the 4th Ministerial Meeting to be held during the 53rd session of the UN General Assembly.