By Xinhua,
Kuala Lumpur : The 6th Summit of the Developing 8 countries (D8) will not discuss the Iran nuclear standoff with the United States, Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said here on Sunday.
However, heads of state and government attending the summit, which will be held on Tuesday, would not be stopped from discussing the issue during bilateral meetings.
“The Iran nuclear crisis is not on the agenda of the Summit but it could be brought up during bilateral meetings or when the heads of government meet informally during the summit,” he told a press conference on the sidelines of the 11th Session of D8 Council of Ministers held here on Sunday.
The D8 comprises eight developing Muslim nations — Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey, with an objective to improve the position of developing Muslim countries in the world economy through diversification of their economies by creating new opportunities via enhanced trade relations.
The D8 was a consensual grouping and if something was not stated in the agenda the issue would not be deliberated at the formal summit, Rais said.
“The agenda for the summit has been agreed to and I can tell you the Iran nuclear issue is not one of them but discussions on the matter can take place at the leaders’ meeting.
“They are free to discuss what they think is important,” he added.