Afghanistan Joins Regional Economic Grouping

Kabul, November 9, 2005 --A big trade and investment conference opened in Afghanistan's capital Kabul today. The two-day conference of the Economic Cooperation Organization, or ECO, is aimed at promoting regional development, with a focus on Afghanistan's public sector. The ECO brings together Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The conference, organized by the Afghan Ministry of Commerce, brings together representatives from the governments, businesses and non-governmental organizations from those countries.