Cairo, December 19, 2024 – The Europe Today: President Prabowo Subianto expressed dissatisfaction over the limited market and economic collaboration among member countries of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, a forum comprised of developing nations with significant Muslim populations.
Speaking to hundreds of Indonesian students at the Al-Azhar Conference Center in Cairo on Wednesday, President Prabowo outlined the purpose of his visit to Egypt, which included responding to an invitation from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and participating in the D-8 Summit on Thursday.
“The D-8 members are countries with large populations. Most have over 100 million people. This forum was formed to foster economic cooperation among its members,” Prabowo remarked.
The D-8, established to bolster economic collaboration, includes Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt, which currently holds the chairmanship. Collectively, these nations represent a market of over one billion people, predominantly Muslim.
President Prabowo stressed the need for significant improvements in economic cooperation within the D-8 framework. “We must admit that we are still unsatisfied. We need a lot of improvement, and we should establish more cooperation,” he stated.
During his remarks, Prabowo also noted that Indonesia will assume the D-8 chairmanship for 2026-2027, following Egypt’s current tenure. “Hopefully, we can give the best during our chairmanship,” he affirmed.
On Wednesday, President Prabowo also held discussions with President El-Sisi. The two leaders emphasized the importance of promoting moderate Islam as a means to counter extremism and Islamophobia. They further explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation in strategic sectors such as trade, industry, technology, education, tourism, and defense.
The D-8 Summit on Thursday is expected to serve as a platform for member nations to evaluate progress and chart a path toward enhanced collaboration, underscoring the forum’s potential to drive economic growth across its member states.
