D8 COUNTRIES SHOULD IDENTIFY POTENTIAL BUSINESS PROJECTS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- D8 member countries and the D8 Secretariat
should focus their energies and resources in identifying potential projects for
their business communities to collaborate through joint ventures, said Foreign
Minister Anifah Aman.

He said collaboration had more often than not been easier said than done,
but struggle and sacrifice must be made if the grouping wished to achieve
success.

"Success should be the only vocabulary that we have in mind. Sincerity is
the key to the success of our efforts and we must pursue success as it is for
the betterment of the lives of our people," he said in his welcoming remarks at
the dinner hosted for foreign ministers and their representatives attending
the D8 12th Session of the D8 Council of Ministers Meeting, here, Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin graced the event and
delivered a keynote address.

Anifah said the major achievements of the D8 to date had been the conclusion
of the three agreements, namely the Trade Preferential Agreement (PTA),
Agreement on Customs Cooperation and the Agreement on Simplification of Visa for
D8 Businessmen.

He said Malaysia ratified the D8 PTA on July 2006 and hoped that other
member countries which had not done so would be able to follow suit as the PTA
would serve as a catalyst to increase D8 intra trade, which was one of the main
objectives of the grouping.

"Malaysia recently deposited its instrument of ratification for the
Agreement on Customs Cooperation," he said.

Anifah said the D8 Road Map which was approved by the D8 Summit in Kuala
Lumpur last year was now being put to the test.

The Road Map provides the direction that the D8 should take and to guide the
D8 ten-year plan of action which has yet to be decided.

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 of D8 last year. Its member countries
have a combined population of about 900 million and are rich in economic
resources.

The grouping aims to be the mechanism for cooperation in the economic
sector through sharing of expertise in order to improve the position of member
countries in the global economy.

-- BERNAMA