Tehran, IRNA – Iranian ٍEnergy Minister of Energy Ali Akbar Mehrabian on Wednesday voiced Iran’s readiness to host a meeting of energy ministers of D-8 member countries.

Mehrabian made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with Secretary General of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam.

Noting that the D-8 was a very influential organization in the past, the minister said that the need for further strengthening this organization has been felt in recent years.

A number of the member-states are known for their energy and technology potentials in the world, Mehrabian said, adding that cooperation on energy is a chance that has to be seized.  

He welcomed a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for hosting a D-8 ministerial meeting on energy, and said that if this meeting happens to be successful, it can pave the way for a summit meeting of the heads of state.

In the meantime, the D-8 secretary general referred to more than one billion population of the member countries which he said can be used as a potential for further cooperation on different trade, agriculture, energy, transportation, industry, and tourism areas.

Abdulqadir Imam said that the volume of trade between the D-8 member countries has grown to $137 billion from as few as $14 billion when the organization was formed in 1997. He added that the organization eyes to reach a target of over $500 billion by 2020.  

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