Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Cairo to attend the summit of the Islamic Eight (D-8), which, in addition to the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), includes Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey and Nigeria. Pezeshkian’s visit is the first trip of an Iranian president to Cairo in the last 11 years.
As the Iranian president himself stated, whose words were quoted by the Sada al-Balad TV channel, “Islamic countries should develop cooperation, putting aside differences.” As Pezeshkian noted, during the summit, its participants intend to discuss issues related to the situation in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria.
The main theme of the D-8 summit, which begins on December 19, is “Investing in Youth and Supporting Small and Medium-Sized Businesses: Shaping the Economy of Tomorrow.” Earlier, a preparatory meeting of representatives of the foreign ministries of the Islamic Eight states was held in Cairo.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to attend the summit, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also intends to attend as a guest.