In an effort to synergize various stakeholders including trade officials, industry representatives, think tanks and members of academia in D-8 countries, D-8 Secretariat is initiating the D-8 Roundtable Discussion Series, hosting its 1st Session on 11th April, 2019 at D-8 Secretariat Headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey.

With the participation of Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV), Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, Commercial/Economic Counsellors of the D-8 Member States stationed in Istanbul and Ankara and the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Turkey, the first meeting of this platform aimed at reviewing key findings of the report “How to Facilitate B2B Interaction within the D-8 Framework?” prepared by TEPAV in coordination with Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), the term president of D-8 CCI. The meeting was held under the leading hand of H.E. Ambassador Bozkurt Aran, director of the TEPAV Center for Multilateral Trade Studies.
After the welcoming remarks of H.E. Ambassador Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari, D-8 Secretary General, the meeting discussed pressing issues regarding D-8 intra-trade and Preferential Trade Agreement by thoroughly reviewing the key findings of TEPAV’s report. The report prepared by Prof. Dr. Güven Sak and presented by H.E. Ambassador Bozkurt Aran and Ayşegül Düşündere (TEPAV) provided the participants with a comprehensive review of macroeconomic stance of the Member States. In addition to taking stock of progress of the past 21 years, it made actionable policy recommendations to increase trade volume, logistic connectivity, B2B and B2C interaction and overall production efficiency within and between D-8 Member States. Officials from the Member States appreciated TEPAV’s effort and agreed to work further on the key policy recommendations of the report by relaying the document to their respective headquarters. Director of Economy, Implementation and External Relations, Ms. Marwa Lasheen further informed the meeting of some of the new initiatives taken by the Secretariat, to address the challenges manifested in the report.