Today, the Group of Eight Islamic countries, also known as the Developing Eight (D8), commenced its summit in Cairo, Egypt, focusing on the theme "Investing in Youth, Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises... Shaping Tomorrow's Economy." This marks the first in-person summit in seven years, with significant representation from member states including Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
The summit, hosted by Egypt under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, follows the handover of the rotating presidency from Bangladesh. A notable session will address the situations in Gaza and Lebanon, featuring Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are also attending, marking their first meeting since the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Pezeshkian's visit is historic as he is the first Iranian president to visit Egypt since 2013, reflecting a potential thaw in relations between the two nations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed hopes that the summit would convey a strong message against Israeli actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.
The Developing Eight was established in 1997 to bolster cooperation among member states, which collectively represent about 1.2 billion people, or 60% of the global Muslim population. The group aims to enhance trade relations and improve the global economic standing of developing countries.
