ISLAMABAD - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was set up as representatives of member countries signed as charter in Islamabad, an official said on Tuesday.

The charter was inked at an overnight meeting chaired by Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza and her counterparts from Iran, Turkey, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Eng. Sahib Khan, one of the participants, told Pajhwok Afghan News Syed Ishaq Gilani, Asadullah Saadati, Niamatullah Ghafari and Abdul Latif Pidram represented Afghanistan’s parliament at the meeting.

Floated by the then National Assembly speaker in 1993, the idea of creating the parliamentary forum was recently revived by Fehmida Mirza.

Khan said the 11-article charter would come into force immediately after it was signed. The assembly will promote people-to-people contact with a view to achieving understanding, trust and friendship among ECO members.

It will also work to coordinate and exchange experiences of parliaments and parliamentarians of ECO countries, increase interaction through friendship groups in parliaments and cooperate with each other at international forums.

The assembly’s Executive Council at its maiden meeting elected Fehmida Mirza as president of the first General Assembly of PAECO. It firmed up the agenda of the first general assembly, scheduled for Tuesday in Islamabad.

Afghanistan will host the second assembly session in the middle of next year. (Pajhwok)