Economic stability: Pakistan to host D-8 summit on June 4-5

Will take stock of progress made in trade, industry, agriculture, transportation and energy.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, in its capacity as the chairman of the Developing-8 Organisation for Economic Development, will host a two-day meeting of D-8 Commission this week. The 36th session of the commission will take place on Thursday and Friday, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi will inaugurate the meeting where attendees include commissioners of D-8 member states and D-8 Secretary-General Seyed Ali Muhammad Mousavi.

“This meeting is being organised during the extended term of Pakistan’s chairmanship of the organisation. Previously, Pakistan has organised four meetings of the D-8 Commission during 2012-14 in addition to two ministerial and one summit meeting,” the handout stated.

The D-8 commissioners from member countries – Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey – will take stock of progress made in five priority areas namely 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 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.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2015.