ERZURUM, Türkiye, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) launched a high-level meeting on Saturday in Türkiye's eastern province of Erzurum, exploring the future of economic diplomacy and emphasizing the importance of tourism cooperation among member states.
The two-day event has drawn a group of academics, policymakers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, diplomats, NGO representatives, and experts from different countries.
At the heart of the gathering is the Palandoken Economic Forum, held under the theme "An Equitable Future in a Smart World: Intelligent Economies and Global Inequality."
The forum focuses on the transformative potential of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and their growing influence on global economic systems and social equity.
On the sidelines of the forum, tourism ministers from ECO member states held a private meeting, marking Erzurum's designation as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2025.
Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that in the era of smart economies, tourism has become a dynamic ecosystem that supports culture, diplomacy, innovation, and trade, calling on ECO members to strengthen cooperation and unlock the region's full tourism potential.
ECO is a Eurasian political and economic intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1985 in Tehran by Iran, Pakistan, and Türkiye.
It has since expanded to include 10 member states, including Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.
