D-8 Summit opens in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, 2008 July 8,  IRNA
 
The sixth Summit of the Eight Islamic Developing Countries (D-8) opened here on Tuesday in presence of leaders and senior officials from the member states.

The objective of the summit is to find ways to battle soaring food and energy prices.

The theme of the summit is 'Meeting Challenges Through Innovative Cooperation'.

The D-8 -- comprising Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Malaysia, Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh -- represent about one billion people, or 14 percent of the world's population.

The group was set up in 1997 as an economic alliance with the objective of improving the position of Muslim developing countries in the global world economy through the diversification of their economies by creating new opportunities and increased trade relations.

During the D-8 sixth Summit, Malaysia is taking over the chair of the grouping from Indonesia.