Dato’ Sri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed his full support to Ambassador Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari, the D-8 Secretary-General, to advance the cause of the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation.

Deputy Minister Reezal warmly welcomed Ambassador Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari as his new capacity as the D-8 Secretary-General during call on him on 02 March 2018 at the former’s office in Wisma Putra in Putrajaya.

Ambassador Ku Jaafar expressed his happiness at meeting the Minister and informed him of the new vision and ideas to be pursued to make the Organization more active, efficient and effective. He reassured the Minister of his fullest effort in furthering the D-8 cause with maximum efficacy and outcome. The Secretary-General conveyed that the Secretariat was working in full swing to implement the vision set by the Organization’s leaders at the successful 9th Summit held on October 2017 in Istanbul. He also updated the Minister with the Ministerial Meetings that were to be held in Member States. He stressed that he had given a special thrust to accelerate cooperation in priority areas and other areas of cooperation within the D-8 Community, particularly the project-centered concept and enhanced private sector involvement. He briefed the Prime Minister on certain project ideas such as, MIHAS 2018, D8P for international payment card, Health sector investment in association with JCorp etc. which the Secretariat had been working with leading private sector companies. He noted that the projects aimed at implementing some targets set out in the Plan of Action adopted in the 9th D-8 Summit. He noted that Malaysia’s continued support in furthering the common agenda and realizing new projects would be their particular strength.

Deputy Foreign Minister Reezal warmly appreciated the Secretary-General and assured him of all cooperation. He reiterated that Malaysia always attached high importance to increasing trade and economic activities among the D-8 Members and it was time that the Organization had been reinvigorated with new ideas and projects and assured the Secretary-General of all efforts on the part of Malaysia.

They also discussed the expansion of the Organization and certain policy matters such as, decision making, quorum etc. as mentioned by the President of Turkey in his speech at the 9th Summit. The Secretary-General noted that he was in consultation with Turkey regarding establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to scrutinise and work on these matters.

Earlier, the D-8 Secretary-General met Dato’ Seri Ramlan Ibrahim, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Wisma Putra in Putrajaya.