Economic Cooperation Organization

The Economic Cooperation Organization is a Eurasian intergovernmental organization for regional development, trade and investment cooperation. It was founded in 1985 in Tehran by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, and expanded in 1992 to add seven more Central Asian and neighboring states, bringing its membership to ten: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, with Northern Cyprus as an observer. Its stated aim is to establish a single market for goods and services among its members, along the lines of the European Union, through the progressive removal of trade barriers, infrastructure links and cooperation on security and environmental issues. The organization is headquartered in Tehran.