07.06.2018 Ankara
Developing Eight (D-8) Ambassadors met at the iftar supper hosted by TOBB. Speaking at the opening of the dinner addressing the strategic roadmap of the Federation of Trade and Industry Chambers (FCCI) TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said that there are various instances of cooperation in a number of sectors, from trade to agriculture and industrialization, from tourism to energy and transportation, “However, we are unable to fully utilize this potential.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu congratulated D-8 Secretary General Ambassador Dato 'Ku
Jaafar Ku Shaari, saying, “I am confident that he will be very successful. I
believe that he will carry the D-8 organization further in line with its goals
and wish him success in his mission.”
The TOBB President, memorializing the late Prime Minister Necmettin
Erbakan, who pioneered the establishment of the D-8 organization, pointed out Erbakan
was also a former TOBB President, stressing his importance for them.
Hisarcıklıoğlu explained that D-8 organization is based on 6 basic
principles. “They are peace instead of war, dialogue instead of conflict,
justice instead of double standards, equality instead of superiority, sharing
instead of exploitation, human rights, freedom and democracy instead of
oppression and domination. All these principles, in fact, point to a very
accurate vision. It shows the roadmap becoming sophisticated and refined
societies.”
- “Our average annual growth rate
is 6%”
Hisarcıklıoğlu evaluated the current situation of D-8 countries and
said, “The D8 countries have spread to three continents. We have rich natural
resources. We have a young and dynamic population, making up approximately a
seventh of the world's population. Our annual average growth rate is 6%, above
many western countries. When the D-8 was established, the average national
income per capita was 1,820 dollars; it has reached 4,500 USD. In total, we
have a population of 1.1 billion and an economic size of 3.7 trillion USD.
However, compared to the possibilities we have, we cannot be happy with these
numbers.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that there are various instances of
cooperation in a number of sectors, from trade to agriculture and
industrialization, from tourism to energy and transportation, “However, we are
unable to fully utilize this potential. We should trade more. We have to
produce more. We must leave our young population with better jobs, a brighter
future. For this, first we need to facilitate trade among ourselves. It is very
important that visa facilitation, customs and preferential trade agreements are
signed and put into effect. If the necessary steps can be taken in these areas,
the intra-D8 trade, which is currently around 100bn USD, may increase by as much
as 5 times in a short time.”
- Strategic roadmap to be developed
Reminding that TOBB has taken on the duty of D-8 Trade and Industry
Federation (FCCI) chairmanship in parallel with Turkey’s D-8 presidency,
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they want to share information about their work
plans for the presidency and to listen to the opinions, and urged participation
and support of ambassadors, national chambers and of business circles of the
member states.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said they would like to complete the D-8 Federation of
Trade and Industry Chambers' Statute for Institutionalization and develop a
strategic roadmap to further the economic co-operation between the D-8 member
countries and the work to be done by TEPAV.
- D-8 Secretary General Shaari:
D-8 countries will be among the world's 24 strongest economies
Secretary General of the Developing Eight Countries (D-8) Ambassador
Dato'Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari began his speech by congratulating Hisarcıklıoğlu for
his reelection to TOBB Presidency.
Recalling that D-8 is an organization founded 20 years ago, Shaari said
that the D-8 should be reactivated and new dynamism should be encouraged.
Stating that D-8 could be an economic power, Shaari stressed that they
could accomplish this with a new understanding.
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Deputy General Director of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tolga Bermek, D-8 Secretary General Dato'Ku Jaafar
Ku Shaari, People's Republic of Bangladesh Ambassador to Ankara M. Allama
Sıddıki, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Ankara
Ambassador-Undersecretary Fahmi Aris Innayah, Iranian Islamic Republic Ankara
Ambassador Mouhammad Ebrahim Taherian Fard, Malaysian Ambassador to Ankara Abd
Razak Bin Abdul Wahab, Federal Republic of Nigeria Ankara Ambassador Ilyasu
Audu Paragalda, Pakistan's Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Egyptian Arab Republic Embassy of the Republic of
Turkey Maslahatgüzar Wael Naggar, EBSO Chairman Ender Yorgancılar, Salihli
Commodity Exchange Chairman Yetiş Aksoy, TOBB Secretary General Mustafa
Saraçöz, TEPAV Director Güven Sak, Deputy Secretary General of TOBB Ali Emre
Yurdakul and TOBB EU Head of Department Mustafa Bayburtlu attended the iftar
supper.