ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday began a three-day visit to Egypt to participate in the Eleventh Summit of D-8 countries, hold bilateral discussions with multiple world leaders on the sidelines of the forum and attend a special meeting on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The D-8 Summit is a gathering of leaders from eight developing countries including Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkiye. It aims to promote economic cooperation and development among member states, with a focus on areas like trade, energy, agriculture, and transportation.

Ahead of Sharif’s departure for Egypt, Pakistani deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for the 21st Session of the D-8 Council of Ministers. 

The theme of this year’s D-8 Summit is “Investing in Youth and Supporting SMEs: Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy.”

“The Prime Minister, representing Pakistan at the Summit, will highlight the importance of investing in youth and SMEs for a strong and inclusive economy based on employment generation, innovation and local entrepreneurship,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. 

“The Prime Minister will express Pakistan’s strong commitment to cooperate and implement the fundamental principles laid down by the D-8 … emphasize the importance of partnerships for mutual benefit and development among the participating countries in the conference, as well as cooperation in agriculture, food security and tourism.”

Sharif will also highlight the steps taken by the government of Pakistan for the empowerment of the youth and their economic development.

While in Cairo, Sharif will attend a special meeting of the D-8 on the humanitarian crisis and reconstruction challenges in Gaza and Lebanon following Israel military offensives in the Middle East since October last year.

“The Prime Minister will convey Pakistan’s principled position on Palestine and emphasize the establishment of peace in the Middle East,” Sharif’s office said, adding that he will also hold bilateral meetings with various heads of states in Cairo to attend the D-8 summit.

Health officials in the Gaza Strip said on Monday the death toll from the 14-month war between Israel and Hamas had topped 45,000 people. 

The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.