The sixth summit of eight developing countries (D8), which is expected to endorse a 10-year roadmap on trade cooperation, started in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Tuesday. Iran said ahead of the summit that it was prepared to supply energy to member countries "to alleviate the people's pain and suffering". D8 leaders are also expected to approve a permanent secretariat to be established in Istanbul.
Turkey is represented by Foreign Minister Ali Babacan at the meeting. Heads of state and government and foreign ministers of D8 countries; Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Turkey agreed on a visa facilitation deal on the first day of the summit.
The D8 group of developing nations is expected to endorse a 10-year roadmap on trade cooperation during the summit.
The leaders are also expected to approve an agreement on preferential trade to improve commercial relations between D-8 countries and on the establishment of a permanent secretariat to be established in Istanbul during the summit.
D8 was set up in 1997 as an economic alliance with the objective of improving the position of member developing countries in the global world economy through the diversification of their economies by creating new opportunities via increased trade relations.
Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that Iran is prepared to supply energy to the D8 group of developing nations.
"The Islamic Republic is ready to fairly meet the D8 countries' energy demands in an effort to alleviate the people's pain and suffering," he told ahead of the summit.