nRAN-PAKISTAN-TURKEY; Courting CIS Muslim Stales
Leaders of Iran. Pakistan, and Turkey will meet this weekend in Tehran for Ihe first summit of the largely dormant Economic Cooperation Organization. They have already agreed lo admit as new members Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, andhave been invited to sendKyrgyzsian. Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan have also appliedoin, according to press reports. Previous ECO agreements called for joint development projects, an investment and development bank, and insurance and shipping companies. The leaders also planay groundwork for an Islamic commona
Comment: Renewed interest in ihe ECO is being driven in large part by ihe breakup of (he USSR and the three original members* competition for political influence and economic advantage in the CIS Muslim states. Tehran, which has already sponsored some of the states for membership in such bodies as the Organization of the Islamic Conference and Ihe Nonaligned Movement, may try lo upstage its ECO partners. Turkey sees Iranajor competitor and consequently gives more priority to brokering links between the CIS Muslim stales and the West lhan to the ECO. Pakistan wants stronger lies io Iran and Turkey as well as links io the CIS Muslims to bolster its regional support against India.H
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