The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) has moved to sharpen its legal cooperation, with prosecutors general from its member states gathering in Turkistan, Kazakhstan, on Friday, September 11, for their seventh meeting.
In an opening address, ECO Secretary General Asad Majeed Khan urged members to move quickly on two fronts: the practical implementation of the Interaction Plan among ECO Prosecutors General’s Offices, and the early operationalization of the ECO Regional Center for Cooperation among Anti-Corruption Bodies and High Inspectors (Ombudsmen). The center, he suggested, should become a standing regional hub for tackling corruption and strengthening integrity.
Kazakhstan’s Prosecutor General, Assylov Berik Nogayevich, welcomed the delegations and reaffirmed Astana’s commitment to deeper ECO cooperation in prosecution and judicial affairs.
The meeting drew prosecutors general and delegation heads from Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Pakistan’s proposal for an Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters among ECO member states was also highlighted as a way to strengthen institutional ties and improve cross-border criminal cooperation.
Beyond anti-corruption, participants discussed the strategic goals of ECO-2035, which will set the organization’s long-term economic development and prosperity roadmap. National statements and constructive exchanges reflected a shared confidence that collective action can build a more coherent and efficient prosecution framework—one that boosts judicial cooperation, institutional capacity, transparency, and accountability.
Delegates reiterated that regular prosecutors general meetings are essential for strategic alignment and mutual confidence-building. They welcomed Azerbaijan’s offer to host the next meeting, along with proposals from Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan to host future events with the ECO Secretariat.
The Turkistan gathering signals that ECO is gradually turning legal and judicial cooperation from a declaratory goal into an operational one—an essential step if regional economic integration is to rest on transparent and reliable legal foundations.
