Islamabad, May 31, 2024, The Europe Today: Pakistan’s Former Foreign Secretary Dr. Asad Majeed Khan has been nominated as the new Secretary General of the 10-member Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), replacing Khusrav Noziri of Tajikistan, whose tenure concludes next month.
Dr. Asad Majeed Khan will become the third Secretary General from Pakistan to lead the Tehran-based ECO since its inception over 32 years ago. His tenure will span three years, beginning in July when he is expected to proceed to the ECO headquarters.
Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan, with a combined population of approximately 600 million, comprise the member states of the organization.
Dr. Asad Majeed Khan has an extensive diplomatic career, having served Pakistan as its ambassador to the United States, the European Union/Belgium, and Japan. He was the Foreign Secretary until last year, succeeded by Dr. Syrus Sajjad Qazi upon his superannuation.
In another significant diplomatic development, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Canada, Zaheer Aslam Raja, and Ambassador to Egypt, Sajid Bilal, are set to retire next month.
Meanwhile, senior contractual ambassadors Munir Akram and Sardar Masood Khan, serving in New York as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as Ambassador to the United States in Washington respectively, continue in their roles despite the change in government. Both are on their third technical extensions. Sources indicate that the government is actively seeking suitable replacements for these positions.
Dr. Asad Majeed Khan’s appointment as Secretary General of the ECO is seen as a testament to his extensive experience and diplomatic acumen, promising a strengthened role for Pakistan within the regional cooperation framework.
4o
