FOOD SECURITY AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION HIGH ON D8 MINISTERIAL AGENDA

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- The D8 group of Islamic developing countries ministerial meeting here, on Nov 2, will result in an action plan to strengthen food security among member countries.

Apart from the Kuala Lumpur Initiative To Address Food Security, the meeting
chaired by Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman will also discuss the
grouping's 10-year roadmap to encourage greater economic cooperation, said a
Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement.

The statement said that in addressing food security, five key areas had been
outlined, namely seed bank, fertilizers, animal feed, standards and trade
issues, and marine and fisheries.

"The successful implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Initiative is expected
to increase food production and strengthen food security in D8 countries," it
added.

The D8 10-Year Roadmap endorsed during the sixth summit held in Kuala Lumpur
last year is aimed at greater economic cooperation between member states and to
mobilize resources from governmental and private sectors in implementing D8
projects.


It seeks to boost intra-trade among D8 countries from five per cent of
the total global trade to between 15 and 20 per cent by 2018.

The total global trade among D8 nations stood at US$1.2 trillion (RM3.5 per
US$) in 2008.

The ministerial meeting will be preceded by the D8 Commission Meeting on
October 30 and 31.

D8 was established on June 15, 1997, in Istanbul and members comprise
Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

Malaysia took over the chairmanship last year.