H.E Dato Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari D-8 Secretary General called on the Foreign Minister H.E Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, today. The Secretary General congratulated the Foreign Minister on assumption of the office and the new government at the helm of affairs.
Foreign Minister appreciated the efforts of the Secretary General for steering the agenda of the D-8 in the right direction. He highlighted that Pakistan successfully hosted 8th D-8 Summit in Islamabad in 2012 and remained its Chair from 2012-17. The adoption of D-8 charter and D-8 Global vision along with Islamabad declaration were the hallmarks of the Summit. During its term, Pakistan played an active role in meeting targets of the organization. Apart from hosting the various high-level ministerial and sectoral meetings, D-8 was successful in securing Observer Status in the UN that added to its prestige and status.
Foreign Minister observed that the architecture and the charter of the organization provided considerable scope for economic cooperation among member states in areas of agriculture, economy, industry, trade, transportation and tourism. He emphasized on implementation of preferential trade, customs and visa agreements to achieve the targets set by the organization in order to become a robust economic organization for the collective benefit of people of the member states. Foreign Minister also appreciated the concept of D-8 products, which will help in not only transfer of technology among the member states but also create job opportunities.
Foreign Minister expressed his best wishes for successful holding of D-8 Meeting in Antalya, Turkey. He said that the idea of hosting Business Forum on the side lines of D-8 Ministerial Meeting would help establish meaningful business and commercial ties among the member states.
Foreign Minister reaffirmed commitment of the Government of Pakistan to the objectives of economic cooperation as enshrined in the Charter. He also assured Secretary General Pakistan’s full support in making the Organization a more dynamic, vibrant and meaningful platform for economic development.
Islamabad
24 October, 2018
