Iran president addressees ECO summit in Azerbaijan

TABNAK, Jul. 04 - President Masoud Pezeshkian has traveled to Azerbaijan to participate in the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), emphasizing Iran’s commitment to fostering regional collaboration and stability.

News ID: 6581

Date: 04 July 2025 - 15:13

President Pezeshkian landed at Fuzuli International Airport on Friday, where he was received with an official welcome and honor guard. He then traveled to Khankendi, the host city for this year’s summit, scheduled for June 3–4.

The Iranian president was invited by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and is expected to deliver a keynote address and hold bilateral meetings with several other heads of state attending the summit.

President Masoud Pezeshkian met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Friday.

Addressing the 17th ECO Summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, President Pezeshkian said the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran carried out defensive military operations against Israeli targets in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

The president said Israel started the war by violating all international laws, including Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter, was joined by the United States, and carried out a range of criminal activities against Iranian off-duty military personnel, university professors, civilians, nuclear facilities for peaceful activities that were under the inspection of the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.), and public infrastructure.

He thanked ECO members for their “responsible positions” during the Israeli war on Iran and said the ongoing summit was another opportunity to let the world know about the regional and global ramifications of the Israeli war of aggression on Iran.

President Pezeshkian was greeted and welcomed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev as he arrived at the venue of the summit in Khankendi on Friday.

The Israeli regime attacked Iran in an unprovoked act of aggression overnight on June 13. A number of top Iranian military and security officials and scientists were assassinated in overnight targeted strikes. Residential buildings were directly struck. So were Iranian nuclear facilities.

The presidents of Iran and Tajikistan met on the sidelines of the ECO summit in Azerbaijan to discuss bilateral relations.

President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rahmon, have held a meeting in the city of Khankendi, the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The discussions took place on the sidelines of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit on Friday.

The summit brings together leaders from across the ECO member states, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajikistan's President Imomali Rahmon and Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov.

These high-level discussions are part of the organization's ongoing efforts to deepen economic, technical, and cultural cooperation across Central Asia, South Asia, the Caucasus, and West Asia.

Speaking at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, Pezeshkian pointed to the importance of deepening relations among the regional countries.

He expressed hope that his visit would boost political interactions and contribute to regional peace and stability, as well as enhance cooperation among the neighboring states.

“The greater the coordination and cooperation between the countries of the region, the less greed the enemies have for creating insecurity,” he said.

Founded in 1985 by Iran, Turkiye, and Pakistan, the ECO has since expanded to include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Today, it serves as a major platform for regional economic integration.

The theme of the 17th summit is “New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future.”