Malaysia and Egypt are planning to set a joint commission, with the aim of boosting trade between the two countries, reported the Malaysian daily, The Star.
The plan to set up the commission was announced by Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, during a visit to Cairo where he attended the third D-8 summit, which ended on Sunday.
"We hope the commission could hold its first meeting as soon as possible,' Badawi said following a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
The Malaysian delegation at the D8 summit had been criticized for not including any members of the private sector, but Abdullah said he had assured Mubarak that the absence of private business interests did not indicate a lack of interest in developing trade ties with their D8 counterparts.
The D8 summit adopted the Cairo declaration, stressing the need to double the volume of trade between the D8 members over the coming five years. The D8, the Group of Eight Developing Countries, is a forum for development cooperation Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. It is meant to enhance the social and economical relations of its partners. — (Albawaba-MEBG)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
