“We want to be realistic,” he said while interacting with diplomatic correspondents with much focus on future initiatives.
Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) arranged the interaction – DCAB Talk – at the auditorium of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the city. DCAB President Raheed Ejaz and General Secretary Nurul Islam Hasib also spoke at the event.
D-8, also known as Developing-8, is an organisation for development cooperation among the following countries - Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
Ambassador Shaari talked elaborately on trade, industry, science and innovations, agriculture, food security, energy security, tourism, climate change and migration issues and shared their plan on how stronger collaboration can benefits the member states.
He said they are also very closely working with private sectors of the member countries.
Responding to a question on Rohingya issue, the D-8 Secretary General said this is a political issue and their focus is on economic cooperation. He, however, said they cannot ignore the Rohingya crisis.
He said Bangladesh will host the 10th D-8 Summit in April next and they are now working on finding a specific date for the event.
The D-8 Secretary General said the Dhaka Deceleration, to be issued after the next Summit, will set the new tone in line with the need towards greater cooperation and collaboration.
Bangladesh will take up the chairmanship of the D-8 in the next Summit from Turkey.
Founded in 1997, the D-8 aims to increase economic cooperation among Member States to boost economic growth, sustain development and promote the wellbeing of their citizens.
The D-8 Secretary General also talked about developing an exclusive D-8 economic zone in Bangladesh to develop a stronger trade and investment relations with D-8 countries.