The Fifteenth Meeting of the Council of Ministers (COM) of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) will take place in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan on 1st October 2005,saida fax release on Saturday.

The meeting will be chaired by H.E. Mr. Kassymzhonrnrt Tokaev, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Foreign Ministers of the member states are expected to attend this meeting.

The Council of Ministers comprises the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member states and is the main decision-making organ of EC’O which meets every year in one of the member states and take policy decisions with regard to the functioning of the ECO Secretariat as well as the Organization itself.

The meeting is likely to review/adopt the reports containing important decisions of the 15th Regional Planning Council, Council of Permanent Representatives since 14th COM meeting, review the annual reports of the ECO Specialized Agencies and Regional Institutions, approve the annual Widget and audit reports of the Secretariat, consider the recommendations of the Eminent Persons Group (FPO) and the Council of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the ECO Secretariat and give its decision in this regard It will also consider recommendations with regard to the proposed recruitment policy and reorganization of the ECO Secretariat.

The meeting is also likely to adopt the “ECO Vision 2015” which will serve as a main policy guidelines document highlighting targets to be achieved by the Organization by 2015. The meeting will also take into consideration the affiliation of ECO-Consultancy & Engineering Company (PVT) Limited (ECO-CEC) as ECO’s Regional Institution.

The meeting will be preceded by Senior Officials (Deputy
Foreign Ministers) Meeting on 29-30 September 2005 in Astana.