D-8 Summit: Khar calls for preferential trade, visa and customs agreement

FM Khar says Pakistan offers investment opportunities in energy, communication infrastructure and agriculture.

ISLAMABAD: While calling for preferential trade, visa and customs agreement, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday that Pakistan offered investment opportunities to foreign businessmen in energy, communication infrastructure and agriculture.

Speaking at the Developing Eight (D-8) Ministerial Council Meeting, Khar said that Islamabad Summit will have significance as it was coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the founding of the D-8 bloc.

She said, “This journey, which we started in 1997, has enriched our fraternal relationships in the last many decades but there is so much more potential that we still have to tap and we hope that we start the journey of tapping that potential from here.”

The foreign minister said that the reason why the D-8 group of countries had come together in 1997 was for a reason – “Because we collectively believe that the better future of our people is within grasp.”

“We share an intrinsic optimism about the benefits of working together, reducing the barriers that exist between us and enriching the lives of the one billion people of the D-8 that we are proud to be a member of today.”

She said that the D-8 countries had a large number of young people and that the forum gave the opportunity to “collectively and together reflect on how we can work together to break down the barriers to the free movement of goods, ideas, services people between our eight important countries.”

“In short we have to come up with ways that will unleash the creativity and innovation of our young people and fuel a bright and sustainable prosperous future for our one billion family members,” said Khar.

She said that the Islamabad summit was the venue of adoption of two landmark documents – the D-8 Charter and the Global Vision.

Khar also condemned Israeli violence on Gaza.