The Presidents of D-8 Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) gathered in Tehran between 26-27 October 2013. During the two-day meeting, Expert Committee met and discussed the finalization of D-8 FCCI Draft Statute and the 8th D-8 FCCI Meeting was held by the attendance of the Presidents of Chambers of Commerce and Industry from the Member Countries.

The meeting was chaired by the President of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Mr. Zubair Ahmed Malik who is also the President of the D-8 FCCI.

The participants discussed each and every Article of D-8 FCCI which proposed various inputs and suggestions to be incorporated in the Statute‚ which will be finalized in two weeks by Turkey in consultation with its legal experts.

As the President of the D-8 FCCI, Zubair Ahmed Malik emphasized that with a combined population of around one billion and a market size of more than $1,5 trillion, D-8 is set to emerge as one of the world’s most promising trade blocs. “We are looking forward to achieve the target of $500 billion for intra-trade which has been set in D-8 Roadmap by our respective governments for 2018” he said. He pointed out that it is essential for D-8 FCCI to undertake goal-oriented activities for rendering the need assessed services to the private sector of its Member Countries in order to implement the vision presented in the D-8 Roadmap 2008-2018.

He informed the Member Countries that FPCCI has drawn up a comprehensive action plan of activities for D-8 under which FPCCI will be sending delegations to the Member Countries for development of agriculture, industrial and manufacturing sectors. Moreover, he said, we will forge business linkages, hold D-8 Business Forum and exhibition, organise seminar on SMEs for developing strategies to strengthen D-8 SMEs, by launching a website and creating data bank, etc.

The participants stressed that D-8 FCCI is a very powerful forum that can play a vital role in activating the business community and at the same time pushing governments for resolution of the current impediments on trade. They emphasized on the necessity of more action and more seriousness for improving the level of cooperation in D-8 and appreciated the efforts and measures taken by FPCCI and D-8 FCCI Secretariat for helping to achieve the true objectives of this forum.

Photos of the meeting can be viewed from the link below: