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D-8 countries, with a total population of 788 million, own
12 percent of the total world resources, including 21 percent of the world proven gas
reserves.
Iran welcomes the formation of
the assembly of business of D-8 member states.
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Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Malaysia,and Indonesia are members of the group called D-8, which was formed for the
economic development of the eight countries. The group first met in Istanbul in 1977, with
the aim to extend cooperation for the improvement of economic situation of the member
countries.
D-8 countries, with a total population of 788 million (comprising 13 percent of the world
population), have a share of 4 percent in the world trade. Member countries (which are
also affiliated with the Organization of the Islamic Conference or OIC) own 12 percent of
the world total resources, including 21 percent of the world's proven gas reserves. In
their first session, D-8 member countries identified grounds for cooperation in such
fields as trade, industries, information and communication, finance, banking,
privatization, rural development, science and technology, development of human resources,
eradication of poverty, agriculture, energy, environment, health, tourism, culture and
sports.The group then selected 10 subjects for implementation,which were formulated at the
istanbul session in 1997.
Turkish President Soleyman Demirel, opened the second session of the D-8 countries in
Dhaka with an inaugural speech on March 1999 Heads of states of all member countries
attended the meeting.
in his inaugural speech mr.Demirel said that the progress the group has made in two years
since its formation has been ''outstanding''. He said there are many grounds for
cooperation among member countries in the areas of trade, health, and industry. He then
delegated the presidency of the group to Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Ms. Hassina Wahed.
Welcoming the participants at the meeting, the Bangladeshi Prime Minister said to realize
the objectives of the group, all member countries should get unite.
Another speaker at the session, Iranian First Vice-President Hassan Habibi, termed the
role the meeting plays in the further expansion of relations among member states as
"important".
He said that the Dhaka session was as important as the Istanbul meeting, where the,
formation of the group was officially announced.
Habibi expressed satisfaction over the fact that member countries, at the time of the
formation of the group, specified areas of cooperation, which addressed common problems of
the members, namely the economy and trade.
He said the realism of D-8 heads of state in pinpointing the objectives and diagnosing
ways to realize such goals, attests to the reality that member countries are determined to
launch joint cooperation through exploring common grounds.
Habibi further added that no doubt,the D-8 members are seeking peace and tranquility on
the basis of respect for human dignity, adding that to this end, members of the group have
placed d‚tente top on their foreign policy agenda.
the D-8 countries, the Iranian official remarked, will continue to pursue the policy of
promoting expansion of relations with their neighbors based on mutual respect for
independence and equal rights. He said that the D-8 group members should divert their
efforts towards finding a solution to their collective problems, and plan for cooperation
by securing a proper place for every single member of the group in the future
international order.
According to Habibi, the economic status of the member countries, especially at the
transitional stage to join the world trade, is their common problem, adding that the
bitter experience of the Southeast Asian states calls on the D-8 group to launch a joint
effort. He said that members of the group should try to further promote their cooperation
in the economic, industrial and trade sectors. The official stated that such an objective
will not be realized unless grounds are prepared for each member state to gain access to
the markets of the other members.also the transfer of technology, joint investment,
exchange of information, and the provision of facilities for the transportation of
industrial goods,are essential.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian First Vice-President underscored the need for the
formulation of plans for the further cooperation of the private sectors of all member
states. He also voiced Iran's support for the proposed formation of the association of
tradesmen, and the holding of their first general assembly prior to the opening of the
group's session in the year 2000.
He termed the formation of the Association of the Consultant Engineers of D-8, as another
ground for academic cooperation among the members, saying that through the employment of
existing technical-engineering potentials, another great stride will be taken towards
further activating of the private sector. Habibi, in conclusion, thanked Bangladesh for
hosting the second D-8 Summit, and Turkey for giving shape to the group.
On the sidelines of the summit, Habibi met and conferred with Turkish President Soleyman
Demirel. The Turkish President underlined the importance of Tehran-Ankara cooperation in
the region and termed the role that both countries play in the realization of D-8
objectives as "highly constructive and important". He said Iran and Turkey are
two key Islamic countries which can take great strides towards the establishment of
tranquility in the region, and development of D-8 countries through identification of
major regional and international issues, as well as their responsibilities.
Expressing hope that bilateral relations and cooperation in diplomatic, economic and trade
will further develop, he lauded the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the OIC
Chairman, in the settlement of disputes between Syria and Turkey.
Habibi also met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad who termed the investment
in production and industrial sectors of the D-8 member countries, as an effective step
towards development.
He also underscored the need for the formulation of a legal framework for investment by
the D-8 countries.
Mahathir Mohammad for his part, highlighted grounds for the expansion of relations between
Iran and Malaysia and saw the exchange of trade, technical and economic know-how as
effective in the promotion of bilateral ties.
Habibi said, further expansion of bilateral trade and economic relations will be a prelude
to investment in the Muslim countries, especially the D-8 members. He then pointed to the
elimination of customs formalities, and the exchange of views among D-8 experts as a means
for promoting bilateral relations and boosting joint investments.
Prior to the Dhaka summit meeting, Foreign Ministers of member countries met to finalize
the preliminaries for the Heads of State. Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi,
separately met and conferred with his Bangladeshi counterpart, where the two sides termed
bilateral political-economic ties as important. Both Foreign Ministers underscored the
interest of their respective countries in the further expansion of economic and trade
relations.
Calling for bilateral cooperation in the field of fishery, the two officials stressed the
significance of further contacts between their private sectors.
Expressing satisfaction over Iran's participation in the D-8 ministerial session,Mr
Kharrazi said the session is of great importance for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
At the end of their two-day session in Dhaka, the heads of state of eight developing
Islamic countries issued a statement in which they called for state control over unleashed
open markets, and warned against the trend of globalization. The statement said in part
that, in order to guarantee effectiveness of the market economy, governments should play a
positive role in the formation and management of international monetary systems, as well
as infrastructure foundations. The 33-article statement also expressed concern over the
indifference by international institutions in the implementation of many proposals offered
in the aftermath of the financial crisis in the world.
Observers believe that the Dhaka Summit, in comparison with the Istanbul session, put
further stress on economic issues. In brief, the D-8 Summit was a great stride towards the
self-reliance of Islamic countries, provided that the founding members continue to
appreciate the significance of the group. |
