ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address on Thursday the 11th Summit of the Developing Eight (D-8) countries in Cairo, Sharif’s office said, with the Pakistan premier expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders of member states as well as attend a special meeting on Gaza and Lebanon.
Sharif arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to lead the Pakistan delegation at the D-8 summit on December 18-19. Egypt’s Minister for Public Business Sector Mohamed Shimi and officials of the Pakistani embassy received the prime minister at the airport.
Founded in 1997 in Istanbul, D-8 is an organization for development co-operation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Türkiye. The 11th summit of the bloc is themed as “Investing in Youth and Supporting SMEs: Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy.”
“At the Summit, the Prime Minister will underline the importance of investing in youth and SMEs (small medium enterprises) for building a strong and inclusive economy, creating jobs, advancing innovation, and promoting local entrepreneurship,” Sharif’s office said.
“The Prime Minister will also attend the Special Session of D-8 on the Humanitarian Crisis and Reconstruction Challenges in Gaza and Lebanon to deliberate on the situation resulting from Israeli aggression in the Middle East.”
The D-8 organization aims to boost economic growth, sustain development and promote and improve standards of living among member states by focusing on bringing improvement and enhancing cooperation in agriculture, trade, transportation, industry, energy and tourism.
Ahead of Thursday’s session, Sharif held a meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and congratulated him on assuming the office.
The two figures exchanged views on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including bilateral ties covering political, trade and economic matters as well as cooperation at the multilateral fora, according to Sharif’s office.
“Both the leaders reaffirmed their unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and called for a ceasefire in Gaza urging for a comprehensive approach for resolution of the Palestinian question, with the establishment of a sovereign and independent State of Palestine,” it added.
Sharif is also accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar at the summit.
On Wednesday, Dar attended the 21st meeting of D-8 Council of Foreign Ministers in Cairo, where he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the D-8 charter and intra-regional cooperation.
He highlighted the potential for economic collaboration and trade within the D-8 economies, specifically in the areas of agriculture, food security, and tourism. Dar also expressed Pakistan’s support for Azerbaijan’s application for D-8 membership.
