ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will embark upon a three-day official visit to Egypt on Wednesday to attend the 11th Summit of Developing Eight (D-8) States to be held in Cairo.

Spokesperson of the Foreign Office (FO) Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said, “PM Sharif will undertake an official visit to Egypt from December 18 to 20, 2024 to participate in the Eleventh Summit of the Developing Eight (D-8) countries being held in Cairo.”

Preceding the Summit, she said that Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar will attend the 21st Session of the D-8 Council of Ministers (CFMs) on 18th December (Wednesday).

The theme of the 11th D-8 Summit is “Investing in Youth and Supporting SMEs: Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy.”

The spokesperson added that at the Summit, the prime minister will underline the importance of investing in youth and SMEs for building a strong and inclusive economy; creating jobs; advancing innovation; and promoting local entrepreneurship.

He will express Pakistan’s strong commitment to the ideals of D-8; underscore the importance of fostering partnerships for mutual benefit and prosperity; and promoting cooperation in agriculture, food security and tourism, the spokesperson said in a statement. The prime minister will also underline Pakistan’s incentives for youth empowerment and financial development.

The prime minister of Pakistan will also attend the Special Session of D-8 on the Humanitarian Crisis and Reconstruction Challenges in Gaza and Lebanon to deliberate on the situation resulting from Israeli aggression in the Middle East.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024