The Secretary General of the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8), Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam, has paid an official visit to the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 4 March 2025. This visit followed the earlier unanimous admission of Azerbaijan as the ninth member of the D-8, during the 11^th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the member states, held in Cairo, Egypt on 19 December 2024.

Accompanied by Senior Officials from the D-8 Secretariat, Ambassador Imam held a meeting with the President of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the Foreign Minister, Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov and other senior officials of the Government of Azerbaijan.

While meeting H.E. President Aliyev at the Presidential Palace in Baku, the Capital, Secretary General Imam congratulated him on the accession of Azerbaijan as the ninth member of the D-8, describing it as historic, being the first country to join the organization since it was established in 1997. He hoped that the entry of Azerbaijan to the group of alliance of nations would contribute to the endeavor to achieve its overall objectives.

 Speaking further, Ambassador Imam introduced the D-8 Organization and its activities, including its priority areas of trade, transportation, energy, agriculture and food security, tourism and industry and SME development. He highlighted D-8’s novel initiatives to marine and blue economy, youth, health, education, and human resources development.

 The Secretary General also introduced some of the D-8’s key instruments, through which Azerbaijan could benefit from the organization, such as the Preferential Trade Agreement (D-8 PTA), Customs Agreement, and Visa Agreement. He Azerbaijan to become a party to those instruments, for the advancement of the organization’s cooperation Agenda.

Ambassador Imam also commended Azerbaijan’s successful presidency of COP29, alluding to the fact that critical decisions on the global climate agenda were adopted under Azerbaijan’s leadership. He added that climate change would be a key focus area for the D-8 Organization, thus leveraging Azerbaijan’s expertise and leadership in this critical sector. He enjoined H.E. President Aliyev to consider hosting D-8 affiliated bodies in Azerbaijan, especially in the area of energy and media to further expand cooperation within the D-8 framework.

In his response, H.E. President Ilham Aliyev expressed his utmost gratitude to D-8 member states for their unanimous decision to accept Azerbaijan as a full member of the organization. He described this decision as a sign of respect for Azerbaijan and a testament to the strong friendship among the D-8 nations.  President Aliyev also emphasized on Azerbaijan’s readiness to actively engage in all D-8 initiatives and activities, while contributing meaningfully to the Organization’s developmental objectives.

President Aliyev also said that Azerbaijan’s accession to the D-8 demonstrated his country’s staunch support towards multilateralism, which has been the cornerstone of his country’s foreign policy. He added that COP29 was one of his country’s multilateral successes, producing milestone outcomes, such as the increased pledges of 300 million US Dollars for climate financing and adoption of Article 6 of the Paris Climate Agreement.

H.E. President Aliyev highlighted the importance of establishing connections between Azerbaijan’s institutions and the D-8 Organization, while he advocated for expansion of the D-8’s geographical reach to the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus region. The President affirmed Azerbaijan’s role as a key country in facilitating the Organization’s closer engagement with those areas.

As   part of Azerbaijan’s commitment to the D-8, H.E. President Aliyev proposed for his country to   host   relevant meetings on energy and renewable energy, youth, and media cooperation, He expressed his country’s willingness to establish one or two D-8 affiliate bodies in strategic areas, such as energy, transportation, or media cooperation.

In his brief remarks, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, H.E., Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov, expressed his delight at Azerbaijan becoming a member of the D-8. He said that his country was prepared to host meetings and events in line with the agenda of the D-8 organization. He also shared insights into Azerbaijan’s areas of strength, particularly in Energy and Climate Action, as demonstrated through its COP29’s Presidency. He emphasized that, under President Aliyev’s guidance, Azerbaijan will bring significant value to the D-8.

The D-8 Organization, established in 1997, aims to promote economic cooperation among its member states: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Türkiye. Azerbaijan joined the group in December 2024. The Organization focuses on enhancing partnerships in critical areas, including trade, industry, agriculture, energy, transportation, and tourism, fostering sustainable development and economic growth among its members.