Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto has expressed his gratitude to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi for hosting the current summit of the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8). The summit commenced on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt.
During his address, Indonesia President Prabowo also affirmed the unified support of all D-8 member states for the Palestinian people. He highlighted the importance of solidarity among the Muslim-majority nations within the D-8, stressing the need to leverage their collective economic potential.
“The (organization’s) purpose is to help countries develop. D-8 was founded in 1997 and consists of countries with the largest Muslim population,” Mr. Prabowo stated. He further emphasized that with their substantial populations and resource reserves, D-8 countries possess the resources necessary to foster economic self-sufficiency among themselves. This, in turn, would strengthen solidarity among Muslim-majority countries, he noted.
The Developing Eight, established in 1997, serves as a platform for development cooperation among its member states: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey. The organisation also aims to foster stronger economic and social ties among its members. These countries are considered key members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The official launch of the D-8 group was formalized at the Heads of State and Government Summit in Istanbul on June 15, 1997, with the signing of the Istanbul Declaration, which followed the “Cooperation for Development” conference on October 22, 1996, and a series of preparatory meetings.
President Prabowo emphasized the need for stronger cooperation among the D-8 nations, which he stated collectively constitute the world’s third-largest economic power. Indonesia President stressed the importance of establishing robust and inclusive supply chains, focusing on shared interests among member states, and empowering the Islamic community. Additionally, he advocated for the acceleration of economic transformation and enhanced prosperity within member countries.
In addition to his remarks on the collective goals of the D-8, President Prabowo also highlighted potential bilateral economic cooperation with Egypt. This included the possibility of Indonesia exporting palm oil to Egypt, and importing phosphate from Egypt for fertiliser production.
