ECO and its future as a non-Arab regional bloc

Despite the lack of enthusiasm shown on the part of several small members of ECO toward further regional integration, diverse incentives hold the member states of ECO together on the path to further regional cooperation.

Future membership of Iraq would give a momentum to this regional organization and would open new avenues for cooperation among its member states.

Given their geographic locations, Syria and Armenia can also serve as other natural potential candidates of membership in ECO, even though the membership of Armenia would face serious political obstacles on the part of Azerbaijan and Turkey in the event of its application.

Notwithstanding challenges facing deeper economic integration within ECO, this regional organization has the potential of developing into a more formidable regional bloc, thus providing its members with a larger bargaining power vis-à-vis other regional and global economic blocs in the future.