ISTANBUL: The government will discuss the Developing Eight (D-8) Organisation for Economic Cooperation’s target of raising trade among member countries to more than US$500 billion by 2030.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he would raise the matter with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan before bringing it to the cabinet for further discussion.
Zahid, who is also rural and regional development minister, said the target could be achieved through several proactive measures.
“We see intra-trade, or trade among member countries, increasing to more than US$500 billion by 2030.
“I discussed the matter in depth during my meeting with the D-8 secretary-general Sohail Mahmood and will raise it with the foreign minister and prime minister,” he told reporters at an exit press conference marking the end of his working visit to Turkiye.
Also present were Mara chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and Foreign Ministry deputy secretary-general (bilateral affairs) Datuk Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin.
Zahid was in Istanbul for a four-day working visit in conjunction with the 2026 TRT World Forum.
On bilateral trade between Malaysia and Turkiye, Zahid said he would discuss ways to address Ankara’s concerns over Malaysia’s trade surplus with Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
He said the two countries had acknowledged that the trade balance favoured Malaysia, with the surplus benefiting the country.
“As such, they asked Malaysia to explore importing more goods and products from Turkiye.
“I will discuss this with the investment, trade and industry minister to find the most effective way to address the trade imbalance,” he said.
The D-8 comprises Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Türkiye.
Azerbaijan joined the grouping in 2025.
The organisation was formally established through the Istanbul Declaration at the Summit of Heads of State and Government on June 15, 1997.