The D-8 Secretary-General, Ambassador Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari visited Egypt during the period from 14 to 18 September, 2018 where he was received by a number of Egyptian officials from the Government as well as representatives of the private sector.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sameh Shoukry, welcomed the Secretary General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters and congratulated him on assuming his position and offered Egypt’s full support for his initiatives and activities for the benefit of the Member States and their citizens. The Secretary-General congratulated Egypt on the successful implementation of the economic reform program and informed about his vision for the organization and its prospects as a strong economic power house, as well as his approach of reaching out to the private sector to be the engine of cooperation between the Member states. Minister Shoukry highlighted the importance of the organization and the hope to see more successful economic cooperation materializing during its second life cycle.
The Secretary-General discussed with Egypt’s D-8 Commissioner Ambassador Said Hindam, Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Economic Affairs and his Deputy Ambassador Tarek Khalil ways to enhance engagement of new actors and different stakeholders in the activities of the D-8, where the Secretary General informed about his initiative to create a network of D-8 designated airports in the Member States, as well as the special focus on cooperation in the field of Research and Development.
During the visit, Ambassador Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari called on the Head of Egypt’s Commercial service where the two interlocutors discussed ways to further Egypt’s engagement in the activities of the organization, as well as the new approach to focus on private sector engagement giving special attention to the SMEs sector. The Secretary General informed that the D-8 intra trade which was around USD 15 billion in 1997 has increased more than seven folds and reached USD 109 billion in year 2017, highlighting the strong potential for a remarkable increase in intra-trade upon the full implementation of the D8-Preferential Trade Agreement. Many proposals were discussed during the meeting including the establishment of a D8 economic zone.

In his meetings at the Ministry of Trade of Egypt with the Minister’s Advisor for International Affairs Dr. Magda Shahin, and Director of the Agreements Division Dr. Amani Elwassal, The Secretary General expressed his strong resolve to cater for the needs of the private sector in the Member States and the different initiatives in that area that include holding an SME summit and facilitating their participation in different trade fairs and expos.

The Secretary General also called on the President of the Egyptian Federation of Chambers of Commerce Mr. Ahmed Elwakeel, and its Secretary General Dr. Alaa Ezz, where they lay forward their vision regarding the future cooperation between the private sector of the Member States under the umbrella of the D8-CCI, especially after the recent agreement between the parties on its statute. Ambassador Dato Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari apprised them of the ongoing projects and new facilities within the organization to support the private sector including the initiation of the Project Support Fund and supporting Technology transfer between the Member States within the D8-TTEN. At that juncture, the meeting discussed the possibility of sharing Egypt’s technology and expertise in the field of pharmaceuticals especially its successful treatment for Hepatitis C. Mr. Elwakeel and Mr. Ezz also informed about their vision for enhancing trilateral cooperation between the Chambers of Commerce of the Member States and other economic blocs, to widen the market to include African, Asian and European consumers.
Moreover, the Secretary General discussed Egypt’s vision to further cooperation between Member States in the field of Tourism with Mr. Ahmed Youssef, the head of Egypt’s Tourism Promotion Authority, were they exchanged views on how best to capitalize on the strong touristic capabilities and experiences of the Member States and the prospects of having joint programs within the Crescent Moon initiative.
The Secretary General also called on the Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Land reclamation Dr. Mona Mehrez, who welcomed the Secretary General and commended his initiatives to further cooperation between Member States in agriculture, especially through enhanced trade in agricultural products and the role of the private sector in that area. The meeting also discussed Egypt’s experience in the fields of poultry and fish farming and ways of sharing best practices with other Member States. Furthermore, Ambassador Dato Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari discussed with the Ministry’s officials the ideas and concepts for holding the D8 sixth Ministerial meeting on Agriculture that Egypt would consider hosting.
The Secretary General’s visit to Egypt received wide media attention from major media outlets. During the visit, Ambassador Dato Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari was interviewed by Al-Ahram newspaper and Egynews (the National Media Agency). Furthermore, a number of prominent newspapers covered the visit, including Ahram online, Alyoum 7, Alakhbar, as well as the Saudi Press Agency. (links below)

https://www.mfa.gov.eg/english/mediacenter/News/pages/hjpoi.aspx

https://www.spa.gov.sa/1814396

https://m.youm7.com/story/2018/9/16/وزير-الخارجية-يبحث-مع-أمين-عام-منظمة-الـ-D8-تعزيز/3952344

http://www.albawabhnews.com/3282164