ISLAMABAD, June 02 (DNA): Pakistan is hosting in Islamabad the 36th Session of the D-8 Commission on June 04-05 in its capacity as the Chair of the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Development, officials said Tuesday.

The D-8 Commissioners from member countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey) will take stock of progress made in five priority areas namely trade, industry, agriculture, transportation and energy.

The meeting will also consider recommendations made by the D-8 Eminent Persons Group for making the organization more effective, the Foreign Ministry said.

The meeting has also on its agenda issues including the next meeting of D-8 leaders and Foreign Ministers in addition to D-8’s external relations with the UN agencies following the grant of observer status to the Organization at the United Nations.

Established in 1997, the D-8 is a multilateral grouping of eight emerging economies of the Muslim world that represent different regions.

The organization works towards enhancing economic and trade cooperation between the member countries.

“Pakistan attaches importance to the D-8 as it has tremendous potential to open up wide ranging business and trade activities among the member countries,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.

The organization reflects combined population of over one billion and a market of about one trillion dollars.

The member countries envisage increasing intra D-8 trade to over US $ 500 billion by 2018.

The meeting which will be inaugurated by Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister will be attended by Commissioners of D-8 member states and the D-8 Secretary-General Seyed Ali Mohammad Mousavi.=DNA