Azerbaijan, D-8 set sights on strengthening youth cooperation ahead of Nigeria summit

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Farid Gayibov, met with the D-8 Secretary-General Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam, to discuss future cooperation prospects, including Azerbaijan's involvement in an upcoming ministerial meeting in Nigeria.

The discussions focused on collaboration in youth policy and the organisation of youth exchanges in Azerbaijan, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The two sides also explored opportunities for mutual engagement at the forthcoming meeting of ministers responsible for youth affairs, which will take place in Nigeria.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Indira Hajiyeva, the First Director of D-8, Ahmar Ismail, the Second Director, Punjul Nugraha, Executive Deputy Mohammad Bilal Khan, and other senior officials.

Note that, the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, founded in 1997, is an economic bloc comprising Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Türkiye. With a combined population of 1.2 billion and a total foreign trade volume of $2.3 trillion, it accounts for about 5% of global trade. 

The secretariat is based in Istanbul, and all members are part of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The D-8 focuses on enhancing economic cooperation, promoting sustainable development, and fostering growth through collaboration in trade, energy, agriculture, and technology. Its goal is to reduce poverty, improve intra-group trade, and address global economic challenges.

By Aghakazim Guliyev