President Prabowo Subianto Calls for Enhanced Economic Cooperation Among D-8 Nations
Cairo, The Gulf Observer: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed his dissatisfaction with the current level of market and economic cooperation among member countries of the Developing-8 (D-8) Organization for Economic Cooperation. Speaking during a gathering with hundreds of Indonesian students at Al-Azhar University, Cairo, on Wednesday, the president emphasized the need for stronger collaboration among the D-8 nations, which consist predominantly of Muslim-majority countries with large populations.
President Prabowo’s visit to Cairo was in response to an invitation from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and included his participation in the D-8 Summit held on Thursday. The forum comprises eight developing nations—Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt—aiming to foster economic and developmental partnerships.
“The D-8 members are countries with large populations. Perhaps all of these countries have populations exceeding 100 million. The D-8 was established to promote cooperation,” Prabowo stated in his address at the Al-Azhar Conference Center. He highlighted that the combined market of the D-8 nations exceeds one billion people, presenting a significant opportunity for economic collaboration.
Despite this potential, the president remarked that current cooperation levels are insufficient. “We must admit that we are still unsatisfied. We need a lot of improvement, and we should establish more cooperation,” he said, urging for actionable steps to unlock the economic potential of these nations.
During the summit, it was announced that Indonesia would assume the D-8 Chairmanship for the 2026-2027 period, succeeding Egypt. “Hopefully, we can give the best during our chairmanship,” Prabowo affirmed.
The president also held bilateral discussions with President El-Sisi, focusing on promoting the values of moderate Islam as a unified approach to counter extremism and Islamophobia globally. The leaders also agreed to deepen collaboration in strategic sectors, including trade, technology, education, tourism, and defense.
As Indonesia prepares to take on a leading role in the D-8, President Prabowo’s remarks underscored the urgency of unlocking the economic potential within the group and fostering stronger ties among member states.
