ISLAMABAD – Pakistan, the current Chairman of the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Development, will host a meeting of the 36th session of the Developing-8 Commission this week.
“This meeting is being organised during the extended term of Pakistan’s chairmanship of the organisation,” the Foreign Office said on Tuesday.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi will inaugurate the meeting, which will be attended by commissioners of D-8 member states and D-8 Secretary-General Seyed Ali Mohammad Mousavi.
“Previously, Pakistan has organised four meetings of the D-8 Commission during 2012 to 2014 in addition to two ministerial and one summit meeting,” the FO statement said.
Members of the D-8 countries include Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
The commissioners from member countries will take stock of progress made in trade, industry, agriculture, transportation and energy.
“The meeting will also consider recommendations made by the D-8 Eminent Persons Group for making the organisation more effective,” the statement added.
The meeting has also on its agenda a number of issues, including the next meeting of D-8 leaders and Foreign Ministers in addition to D-8 external relations with the UN agencies following the grant of observer status to the Organisation at the United Nations.
Established in 1997, the D-8 is a multilateral grouping of eight emerging economies of the Muslim world that represent different regions. The organisation works towards enhancing economic and trade cooperation between the member countries.
“Pakistan attaches importance to the D-8 as it has tremendous potential to open up wide ranging business and trade activities among the member countries,” the foreign office said.
The organisation reflects combined population of over one billion and a market of about $1 trillion. The member countries envisage increasing intra D-8 trade to over $500 billion by 2018.