A reception on the occasion of the 22nd Anniversary of the Establishment of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation was organized on 5th July, 2019, at Hilton Bosphorus Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey.

The reception was attended by many dignitaries from both government and private institutions such as the Ministries of the Republic of Turkey, Embassies and Consulates-General of the D-8 Member as well as those of other countries, regional and international institutions, media institutions and universities.

The program commenced with the presentation of the corporate video which introduced the D-8 Organization, its historical development and current activities. After the video presentation, the Secretary-General of the D-8 Organization, Ambassador Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari, delivered a welcome statement.

In his statement, the Secretary-General thanked all the invitees for their kind and valuable presence at reception and the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Turkey for graciously providing the D-8 Secretariat with a new and befitting premise.

Then, he briefly introduced the D-8 Organization by providing information regarding its establishment, important milestones during its history and current activities of the Organization. He also mentioned some figures regarding economic fundamentals of the D-8 Organization that proved that it is clearly on its way to becoming an economic powerhouse.

The Secretary-General also availed the audience of additional information and data regarding the priority areas of cooperation which the D-8 focuses on such as Agriculture and Food Security, Trade, Transportation, Energy, Tourism, Education, Health and Industry and SME.

Furthermore, he gave some details regarding the projects which the D-8 is currently working on such as the D8 Payment Card, the D-8 International University, the Network of Pioneers for Research and Innovation (NPRI), the D-8 Aviation Network, the D-8 Industrial Park, the D-8 Research Centre, the D-8 Project Support Fund and the D-8 Health and Social Protection Programme. Ambassador Ku Jaafar ended his statement by sharing information about the collaborative relationships with other regional and international organizations and institutions like UNCTAD, World Trade Organization, World Custom Organization and the International Trade Centre.

After the statement of the Secretary-General, the Deputy Director-General for Multilateral Economic Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Mustafa Osman Turan delivered a speech as the representative on behalf of the Republic of Turkey which is the current Chairman of the Organization.

At the end of the reception, the Secretary-General of D-8 and representatives of D-8 Member States performed the cake cutting-ceremony. Thereafter, the Secretary-General of the D-8 and some of the participants were interviewed by the media agencies.

The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as Developing-8, is an organization for development cooperation among the following countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

The establishment of D-8 was announced officially through the Istanbul Declaration of Summit of Heads of State/Government on June 15, 1997.

The objectives of D-8 Organization are to improve Member States’ position in the global economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at international level, and improve standards of living.

Please click on the following link: Statement of Secretary-General