Mubarak, leaders of D-8 Summit call for reactivating inter-cooperation

On the sidelines of the D-8 summit that wound up its activities on Sunday in Cairo, President Mubarak yesterday received Indonesian President Abdul Rahman Wahid, Chief of the Executive Authority in Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Deputy Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Serri Abdullah Ahmed Badawy.

Mubarak discusses with them the results of D-8 summit, bilateral relations and the peace process Talks dealt with the results and recommendations of the summit and the need for reactivating cooperation among D-8 member states and increasing inter trade from 3,5 to 7% in the upcoming five years.

Talks reflected support by those countries for the Palestinian stance calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said the meetings dealt with experiments of those countries in economic development, and the financial crisis faced by south East Asian nations and how they managed to overcome it with least possible losses.

President Mubarak listened to explanations by his guests on economic positions in their countries.

Moussa said President Mubarak got a message from Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed including an invitation to the President to visit Malaysia.

Deputy Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Serry conveyed this message.

Moussa said the Indonesian President has also addressed an invitation to President Mubarak to take part in the G-15 summit to be held in Indonesia at the end of May.

Moussa described the results of D-8 summit as having been positive adding an agreement was reached on many decisions for bolstering cooperation among the eight member states in the various fields including signing an agreement for facilitating granting entry visas to businessmen from the D-8 members with the aim of establishing more projects.

Moussa said the summit agreed on conducting an additional study on the Egyptian proposal for establishing an international company for trade and marketing among the D-8 members and determining it's organizational structure.

Meantime, the Cabinet will meet today under Prime Minister Dr. Atef Ebeid for discussing implementation of recommendations of the group.

The Cabinet will determine a series of steps for expanding inter trade by 7% through the establishment of international company for marketing and trade.