D8 HAS NOT FULLY ATTAIN ITS OBJECTIVES, SAYS MSIAN DPM

From Muammar Kamarudin

ABUJA (Nigeria), July 8 (Bernama) -- Member states of the Group of Eight
Developing Countries (D8) should realise the movement has not been able to fully
attain its objectives, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said
Thursday.

He said trade statistics among D8 countries may appear to be positive but
this success may be mainly due to existing bilateral trade initiatives rather
than benefiting from the cooperation and initiatives of the D8 as an
organisation.

They should be looking at real economic collaborations among member states,
supporting investment and economic ventures to enhance their economic
collaborative goals, he said when speaking at the 7th D8 Summit at the State
House Banquet Hall here.

Hence, the theme for the 7th Summit "Enhancing Investment Cooperation
Amongst D8 Member Countries" picked by host nation Nigeria was relevant, he
said.

"I am positive that this theme will stimulate and provide us with a
useful perimeter for discussions that we have before us at this summit,
especially the current state of affairs of the D8 and how to advance our
cooperation for our mutual benefit," he said.

Therefore, he said, Malaysia has proposed the D8 programmes and activities
be re-assessed and strategised to be in line with the list of five priority
areas of cooperation and the D8 Road Map.

The priority areas are trade; agriculture and food security; industrial
cooperation, small and medium enterprise; transportation; energy and minerals.

The Road Map has set intra-trade among D8 members be raised to at least
between 15 and 20 per cent of the global trade by 2018.

Muhyiddin said: "This is to provide a clear list of programmes and
activities, evaluate their prospects and potentials, determine member
states' interest so that D8 will only pursue achievable programmes and
activities."

During Malaysia's Chairmanship of the D8 since July 2008, Muhyiddin said
Kuala Lumpur had higlighted that the movement has a very long list of proposed
programmes, activities and meeting schedules, but on many occasions there were
not enough quorum to convene some of these meetings.

He also said the Malaysian delegation to this summit has recommended that
the secretariat should immediately develop the D8 Business Forum Web Page on its
website to encourage the private sector and small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
which could not attend D8 meetings to be engaged on the proposed web page.

"I do understand that as government, we are required to formulate policies
and propose cooperative initiatives by undertaking real projects that can be
beneficial to the people.

"Unfortunately, this is not happening. There is a missing link," he said.

Muhyiddin said the vital missing link was the absence of private sectors in
the various D8 programmes and activities.

"There is an urgent need for member states to address this inability to
attract private sector interest," he said.

On progress made by D8, Muhyiddin said it was heartening that Egypt, Iran
and Turkey had agreed to establish a joint-venture fertilizer complex in Egypt.

He said Malaysia felt that agriculture was an important component of all D8
countries' economy and hence, the grouping should enhance cooperation in this
sector.

Muhyiddin also said the D8 had finalised and signed three agreements, namely

Simplication of Visa Procedures for D8 Businessmen; Preferential Trade Agreement
Amongst D8 Member States; and Multilateral Agreement on Administrative
Assistance in Customs Matters.

He said only the agreement on simplification of visa procedures for
businessmen has been enforced but has not been ratified by three member states.

The Preferential Trade Agreement Amongst D8 Member States, supposed to be
the blue-chip of the grouping's economic cooperation, has only been ratified by
Malaysia and Iran, he said.

At the event, Muhyiddin handed over the D8 chairmanship on behalf of the
Malaysian Government to Nigerian President Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

He also extended his best wishes and pledged Malaysia's full support to Prof
Ir Widi Agoes Pratikto of Indonesia who was nominated to succeed Dr Dipo Alam as
the D8 secretary-general to complete Indonesia's term until Dec 31, 2012.

Present at the summit were Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Turkish
President Abdullah Gul, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister
of Egypt Dr Ahmed Nazif, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs
M .Hatta Rajasa and Pakistan Minister of Commerce Makhdoom Mohammad Amin Fahim.

Established in 1997, the D8 groups eight developing Islamic nations, namely
Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
-- BERNAMA


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