KARACHI: Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan arrived in Cairo on Sunday to participate in the 4th meeting of the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) Trade Ministerial Council, the Pakistani commerce ministry said.

The D-8 is a multilateral bloc comprising Pakistan, Turkiye, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, Iran, Indonesia and Malaysia. Azerbaijan became the 9th member of D-8 forum last year.

The meeting of the D-8 Trade Ministerial Council is being hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt on Dec. 1-2 in Cairo and is expected to adopt a declaration on trade cooperation.

Upon arrival at Cairo airport, Khan was received by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Egypt Aamir Shouket along with senior officials from Egyptian ministries of trade and foreign affairs.

“The minister will take part in the D-8 Ministerial Council’s opening, plenary, and closing sessions, alongside a series of bilateral engagements with his counterparts from member countries,” the Pakistani commerce ministry said.

“His program also includes participation in official activities arranged for the delegations, as well as scheduled visits to key cultural and landmark sites, including the Grand Egyptian Museum and Abdeen Palace.”

The development comes as Pakistan prepares to assume the D-8 secretary-generalship in January 2026, with the bloc deepening trade cooperation among member states.

Trade among D-8 members has grown sharply from $14 billion in 1997 to $145 billion in 2023, according to D-8 Secretary-General Ambassador Isiaka Abdul Qadir Imam. But the figure is far below the group’s true potential.

“With a market of 1.2 billion people, $145 billion is still very, very small,” Imam told Arab News on the sidelines of the first ever D-8 Media Forum in Baku this month.

He said the bloc’s members are focusing on trade, economy, energy, agriculture, tourism, youth and food security.

“Our target is to reach $500 billion in inter-trade by 2030. Our leaders have given us that mandate, and we are working toward it,” Imam added.