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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Pakistan
Index
In November 1992, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan,
and
the five former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan,
Azerbaijan,
Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan created an
extended
Muslim economic block linking Asia and Europe. As a
result, the
expanded Economic Co-operation Organization (ECO), in
terms of
geographic territory covered, became the largest economic
bloc
after the European Community. Former Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif
noted in a speech marking the occasion that the ECO "now
corresponds to the boundaries of the ancient area, which
brought
prosperity and civilization. . . through fruitful
exchanges along
the historic silk route. The people of these lands have a
shared
history and common spiritual and cultural values." Nawaz
Sharif
added his belief that extensive investment in
infrastructure and
encouragement of the private sector were the most
important
immediate objectives. He noted that Pakistan was building
a major
highway network to link Central Asia to the Arabian Sea
and that
its railroads were "poised to link not only member states
but
also ECO with Europe, Russia, and South Asia." He added
that
"peace in Afghanistan is essential for political harmony
and
fruitful cooperation in our entire region."
Data as of April 1994
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