Iranian, Egyptian deputy FMs discuss bilateral ties

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hassan Qashqavi and his Egyptian counterpart Ali Al-Ashiri, in a meeting in Tehran on Monday, discussed bilateral ties and major developments in the region. During the meeting held in the Iranian capital on the sidelines of a consular meeting of the 8 Muslim developing countries (D8), Qashqavi pointed to Egypt's high capacity on the scene of the Muslim World, and thanked the Arab country for its active presence in the ongoing D8 meeting in Tehran. The Egyptian deputy foreign minister, for his part, underlined the importance of the D8 consular meeting, and said his country would try to approve the consular agreement proposed at the D8 meeting in a bid to facilitate visas issuance for traders and businessmen. The D8 consular meeting opened in Tehran on Monday morning. The 8 Muslim Developing Countries, known as the D8 Group, include Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Egypt. The objectives of D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation are to improve member states’ position in the global economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at the international level, and improve standards of living. D-8 is a global arrangement rather than a regional one, as the composition of its members reflects.