Iran FM: D8 members able to cope with global crisis

Salehi made the remark in the 14th foreign ministers meeting of D8 member states which opened in Abuja, Nigerian capital, on Thursday.

‘We hope that D8 member states will play a key role in establishing peace and stability in the region and the world,’ Salehi said.

He said the coordinated cooperation among the D8 members is vital in foiling the dreadful effects of global crisis.

The Iranian foreign minister underlined that D8 members enjoy huge material and human resources for enhanced ties, adding the alliance has over one billion population in three continents.

Salehi stressed that Islamic Republic of Iran attaches great importance to expansion of trade and making joint investment in D8 member states.

Salehi left Vienna for Nigeria Wednesday morning to attend the D8 meeting.

The Developing 8 (D-8 or Developing Eight) are a group of developing countries with large Muslim populations that have formed an economic development alliance.

The D-8 consists of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

The objectives of D8 are to improve the position of developing countries in the world economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at the international level, and provide better standards of living.

The Iranian foreign minister arrived in Ljubljana, Slovenian capital, on Monday on the first leg of a two-nation European tour which later took him to Vienna, Austria.

During his stay in Ljubljana, Salehi met with his Slovenian counterpart Samuel Zbogar and inaugurated the first Iranian Embassy in the republic.

While in Vienna, Salehi discussed issues of mutual interest in separate meetings with Austrian officials including his Austrian counterpart and Deputy Chancellor Michael Spindelegger.

Salehi visited Austria at the Spindelegger’s invitation.

He also held talks with Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano during his day-long visit to Vienna.

Total trade of D8 member countries with the outside world stood at dlrs 750 billion in 2007.

The combined population of the eight countries is about 60 percent of the Muslim people, or close to 13 percent of the world’s population.

In 2006 trade among the D-8 member states stood at $35 billion, and it was around $68 billion in 2010.

Transactions among the 8 developing countries account for 3.3 percent of world trade. The figure is projected to reach 10-15 percent in the next few years.