The Fourth Joint Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was held on 1 October 1998 in the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Singapore in New York. It was co-chaired by H.E. Prof. S. Jayakumar, Foreign Minister of Singapore, and H.E. Mr. Kassymzhomart Tokaev, Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan. It was also attended by H.E. Mr. Talbak Nazarov, Foreign Minister of Tajikistan, Permanent Representatives of the Member States of the two organizations and the Secretaries-General of ASEAN and ECO.

            The Meeting noted with satisfaction the progress of ASEAN-ECO relations since last year's Ministerial meeting and discussed additional initiatives to further this relationship. The Meeting stressed the important role of the private sector in expanding trade and investment links between ECO and ASEAN and directed the two Secretaries-General to forge closer links between the various chambers of commerce and industry of the two regions. The Meeting also agreed to continue exchanging experience in regional economic integration, as well as to send teams of officials and private sector delegations on regular visits.

            The Meeting agreed on the need for more frequent contacts between the Secretariats and noted the various mechanisms that could be utilized, such as websites and the ECO embassies in Jakarta and the ASEAN embassies in Tehran. The Meeting also noted the potential of coordinating common positions in international fora, such as the WTO, and in exchanging information on new and dynamic areas as electronic commerce.

            The Meeting expressed satisfaction at the holding of a joint ASEAN-ECO Workshop on International Trade in New York and expressed hope that such joint events on a continuous basis would greatly contribute towards better understanding of the trade and economic potentials between the two regions.

            The Meeting noted that the Fourth Meeting of the Executive Heads of Sub-regional Organizations of Asia and the Pacific, in which both ASEAN and ECO participate regularly, would be held at the end of October in Katmandu, Nepal. The Meeting agreed that the two Secretaries-General should avail of this opportunity to work out in greater detail the proposals agreed to at the ASEAN-ECO Workshop.

            The Ministers of ASEAN and ECO reiterated their willingness to continue their annual meetings in New York on the sidelines of annual UN General Assembly sessions. The Meeting expressed thanks to the Permanent Mission of Singapore for making excellent arrangements for the meeting.