A summit of the Developing-8 (D-8) group of large Muslim-majority nations is scheduled for Saturday in Nusa Dua, Bali, with Iran's nuclear program expected to dominate discussions. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will attend, along with leaders or senior representatives from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Türkiye. Foreign ministers from all eight countries are set to convene Thursday ahead of the main meeting.
Ahmadinejad will spend three days in Jakarta before traveling to Bali, where analysts say he may seek Indonesian help mediating between Iran and Western nations. Iran maintains its uranium enrichment program is intended solely for civilian electricity generation, while Western governments suspect a weapons program is being pursued in secret.
Indonesia, which is assuming the group's chairmanship from Iran, has prepared a resolution on the peaceful use of nuclear energy for summit consideration. The gathering will also address renewable energy development, preferential trade arrangements, and a leaders' declaration on global concerns.
On the international diplomatic front, the United States is pressing for a binding UN Security Council resolution demanding Iran halt all enrichment, while Russia and China have resisted punitive action. The D-8 last convened in Tehran in February 2004.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.