M'SIA WANTS D-8 TO EXAMINE AND RECTIFY LONG LIST OF PROJECTS

By Muammar Kamarudin

ABUJA, July 5 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian senior officials delegation to the
7th Group of Eight (D-8) Summit here has called for the organisation to examine
and rectify some of its long list of project proposals in order to improve the
efficacy and attractiveness of the movement.

Its head, Deputy Secretary-General II of the Foreign Affairs Ministry
Zainol Abidin Omar Sunday said in his speech that he was happy to note that the
D-8 had begun to undertake meetings that were useful and pursuing them with the
objective of getting the private sector to participate.

"However, looking at the list of meeting proposals that we have, I am afraid
that we are submerged in a long list of activities and remained unimplemented,"
he said in his remarks at the opening of the two-day 28th Session of D-8
Commission, here Sunday.


The Commission comprises commissioners or senior officials and technocrats
appointed by the Foreign Affairs Ministry of each member country.

The D-8, which was formed in 1997, comprises developing Muslim countries
namely Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and
Turkey.



As the executive organ within the D-8, the Commissioners would implement the
resolutions and roles assigned to each member state.

Zainol Abidin said the organisation still needed to get its private sectors
to be actively engaged and invest in joint ventures and form consortiums with
their counterparts in member countries.

In this connection, he said: "Malaysia would like to call for a stock taking
exercise and for some rectification measures to be taken to improve the efficacy
and attractiveness of the D-8."

Zainol Abidin also proposed that member countries engaged their economists
and business captains to assist the D-8 in the project proposals prioritisation
exercise.

"In my delegation's opinion, we could establish an Eminent Persons Group
comprising economists and business captains, who will be tasked with examining
our list of proposals and determining which of these proposals are doable, in
line with D-8 objectives and outline the areas that we should focus as well as
the modalities of cooperation which could attract private sector participation,"
he said.



He also said it was heartening to note that Egypt, Iran and Turkey had
agreed to establish a joint-venture fertiliser complex in Egypt as a result of
the first Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) of the D-8 working group on marine
fisheries and fertilisers and the 1st Ministerial Meeting on Marine Fisheries
and Fertilisers held in Cairo last April.

On the progress of D-8, Zainol Abidin said he was pleased to note that the
organisation managed to get the Agreement on Simplification of Visa Procedures
for D-8 Businessmen to enter into force.

Zainol Abidin also proposed that Prof Ir Widi Agoes Pratikto from Indonesia
who is currently the D-8 Secretary General-designate to be allowed to hold the
position of Secretary General ad-interim.

"In this case it would enable Pratikto to assume his important
responsibilities as the D-8 Secretary General once his appointment had been
approved at the initial session of the Summit, thus providing him the
opportunity to address the 7th Summit as our new Secretary General," he said.

At the event, Zainol Abidin handed over the chairmanship of the D-8
Commission held by Malaysia since the last summit in 2008 to the Permanent
Secretary of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Martin Uhomoibhi
(repeat Uhomoibhi).

-- BERNAMA