19/09/2026
The Secretary-General of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation held a series of productive bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation Roundtable of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) and the 2026 Haikou Conference of the Global Health Forum, in Hainan, China.
During his meeting with Ambassador Zhang Jun, Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia, the Secretary-General exchanged views on the evolving international and regional economic landscape, developments in green transition and digital transformation, global governance, the importance of enhanced trade and economic integration across Asia, and opportunities to strengthen cooperation between the D-8 and BFA. Discussions also explored ways to promote trade and investment linkages, business-to-business engagement, connectivity, innovation, sustainable development, and closer institutional cooperation, with a view to connecting the economic potential of the nine D-8 Member States with BFA’s extensive network across Asia.
In a fruitful meeting with H.E. Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain, Minister of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh, the Secretary-General discussed ways to harness the collective strengths and complementarities of D-8 Member States, particularly in pharmaceuticals and vaccines, biotechnology and medical technologies, digital health, research, and capacity-building. He briefed the Minister on progress under the D-8 health cooperation agenda, the Secretariat’s ongoing efforts to translate agreed priorities into tangible initiatives, and the upcoming programme of work, including preparations for the next D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Health in Türkiye. The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for Minister Husain’s commitment to actively contributing to these initiatives and strengthening D-8 partnership in the health domain.
The Secretary-General also held meetings and interactions with participating senior officials, business leaders, and media representatives, which provided valuable opportunities to highlight the D-8’s core mission and priorities and build bridges of cooperation towards advancing shared objectives.
Secretary-General of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation