Malaysia and Indonesia among the D-8 Group: Islamic ministers meet ahead of Bangladesh summit

The Straits Times, 27 February 1999

DHAKA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Ministers and key foreign ministry officials of eight Islamic developing countries met in Dhaka on Saturday to finalise the agenda and draft declaration of a two-day summit of leaders beginning on Monday, officials said.

They said the meeting was evaluating the progress of economic and technical cooperation as recommended in the first summit of the countries, known as D-8 group, in the Turkish capital Istanbul in 1997.

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

The officials said Nigeria may be absent at the Dhaka meeting because of its national elections. And not all other heads of government will be in Dhaka for the summit.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, President Suleyman Demirel of Turkey and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan plan to attend, the foreign ministry said.

Other countries would be represented by senior government officials.

Bangladeshi officials said the D-8 countries had intensified cooperation in the fields of environment, health, poverty alleviation, telecommunications, science and technology, agriculture and micro-credit.

There has been extensive exchange of information about various aspects of economy, health and environment among the member nations, one official said.

Tight security has been imposed in and around the summit venue -- the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel -- by army soldiers with sniffer dogs, witnesses said.

We are taking an unprecedented security precaution because all the summit participants will also be staying at this hotel, one hotel management official said.