Egypt hosts preparatory meetings for D-8 summit

Preparatory meetings for the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation summit continued on Tuesday in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

The summit is scheduled to open on Thursday with the participation of Egypt, Türkiye, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Nigeria.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the preparatory meetings, which began on Monday, discuss the issues that will be included in the summit's agenda, particularly ways to enhance economic cooperation among member states.

"Egypt attaches great importance to the D-8 organization, and its presidency until the end of next year stems from the existence of significant and extended opportunities to advance economic relations, including in industry, agriculture, and services, in ways that serve the goals of comprehensive development in Egypt," Egyptian delegate Ragui El-Etreby said.

He added that the member states of the D-8 organization "represent a massive market, with a population exceeding one billion people and a combined GDP of around $5 trillion."

The D-8 foreign ministers are set to meet on Wednesday to discuss the outcomes of the preparatory meetings.

The D-8 group was established in Istanbul in 1997 to strengthen economic and social relations among its member states.