President Asif Ali Zardari met Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan and Secretary General-Designate of the Developing Eight Organization (D-8), who called on him at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The President congratulated Ambassador Sohail Mahmood on his appointment as Secretary General of D-8 and said it is a matter of pride for Pakistan that a seasoned Pakistani diplomat would be leading the organisation. He expressed confidence that Ambassador Mahmood’s experience and insight would help strengthen D-8 and enhance its relevance in the coming years.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood briefed the President on his new role and shared his vision for advancing cooperation among D-8 member states. He highlighted the organisation’s potential to promote economic growth and collective development across its diverse membership.
The President underscored Pakistan’s continued commitment to D-8 as a founding member and noted the importance of effective implementation of the D-8 Decennial Roadmap 2020-2030. He emphasised the need to translate agreed frameworks into tangible outcomes, particularly in priority areas including trade, agriculture, energy, industry, transportation and tourism.
Referring to the D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement, the President said that low levels of intra-D-8 trade highlighted the urgency of full operationalisation of the agreement. He welcomed the signing of the Protocol on the D-8 PTA Dispute Settlement Mechanism as a positive step towards addressing trade barriers and strengthening economic collaboration among member states.
The President also stressed the importance of enhancing people-to-people contacts within D-8 to deepen cultural and historical ties. He noted that institutional reforms are essential for the organisation’s long-term effectiveness and expressed hope that Ambassador Sohail Mahmood would play a constructive role in aligning D-8 with contemporary global standards while ensuring fair representation of member states.
President Zardari wished Ambassador Sohail Mahmood success in his new assignment and expressed confidence that he would uphold the objectives of D-8 while safeguarding Pakistan’s national interests.
Parliamentary Leader of PPP in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman also attended the meeting.