D-8 Summit holds special session on Middle East, two rival countries in Syria "clash"

Leaders and officials attend the D-8 Summit in Cairo, Egypt on December 19. (Source: Daily News Egypt)

The conference was attended by host Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bangladesh's interim government head Muhammad Yunus .

The conference issued the Cairo Declaration, which stated its commitment to strengthening partnership and promoting economic development among member states. In addition, the declaration reaffirmed the organization's commitment to the principles of fraternity, peace, dialogue, justice, equality, the rule of law and democracy.

In addition to economic and trade cooperation among member countries, the conference's agenda includes a special session focusing on the situation in the Middle East with developments in Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

According to the Middle East News Agency MENA , speaking at the conference, Egyptian President Al-Sisi noted that at present, the world is facing "unprecedented challenges and crises", especially in the Middle East.

“The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people, despite international resolutions, is a prime example of these challenges. The conflict risks escalating and spreading to other countries, as seen in Lebanon and Syria, whose sovereignty and territorial integrity are under attack,” the leader said.

According to him, the possibility of further regional escalation would have serious political and economic consequences for all.

He called on developing countries to work together to address these complex challenges by enhancing cooperation and implementing joint projects and initiatives in many areas.

For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for ensuring unity, territorial integrity and restoring stability in Syria. He expressed hope for the establishment of a Syria that is no longer a haven for terrorists and where all religious and ethnic groups live together in peace.

Iranian President Pezeshkian called for action to resolve the situation in Syria, the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip and the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, in order to end the suffering of the people.

The 11th Summit of the Developing Economic Cooperation Organization (D-8) opened on Thursday under President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in the New Administrative Capital (NAC).

Both Türkiye and Iran have significant influence in Syria. The “meeting” between President Erdogan and President Pezeshkian in Cairo on December 19 will be the first meeting since the major change on the ground in Syria.

Meanwhile, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stressed the importance of cooperation among D-8 members and working for the benefit of the people.

He called on countries to promote joint cooperation under the auspices of international law to strengthen cohesion and sustainable development, while putting aside differences and creating unified strength for the prosperity of the people.

D-8 was established in 1997, bringing together eight developing countries including Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Türkiye.

The organization aims to improve the position of member countries in the global economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, increase participation in decision-making at the international level and improve living standards.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/hoi-nghi-thuong-dinh-d-8-danh-phien-hop-dic-biet-ve-trung-dong-hai-nuoc-doi-trong-o-syria-cham-tran-298017.html