The UAE was honored as the Guest of Honour at the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) held in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, on July 4, 2025. Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, represented President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the event.
The UAE’s participation followed a special invitation from Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, highlighting the strong friendship and growing cooperation between the two nations across various sectors.
The summit was attended by several regional leaders, including President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye, President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, Deputy Chairman Rashid Meredov of Turkmenistan, and Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar of Afghanistan.
During the summit, Dr. Al Jaber met with President Ilham Aliyev to discuss the latest developments in UAE-Azerbaijan relations, focusing on energy, renewable energy, and infrastructure. Additionally, Dr. Al Jaber met with Rashid Meredov, Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister, to explore ways to strengthen cooperation between the UAE and Turkmenistan.
The Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) is a regional intergovernmental body, with members from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The organization works to enhance economic, trade, energy, transportation, agricultural, and environmental cooperation among its members.
