At D-8 Summit in Cairo, PM Shehbaz underlines need for investing in youth

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday underlined the need for investing in youth.

Speaking at the 11th Summit of the Developing Eight (D-8) nations in Cairo, Egypt, Sharif said it was “crucial” for Pakistan’s socioeconomic development and progress to invest in the youth.

“For Pakistan, investing in youth and supporting SMEs (small and medium enterprises) is crucial for our socioeconomic development and progress," Sharif said in his address. 

“With over 60 per cent of our population under the age of 30, we possess a fountain of potential for innovation and growth,” he added.

However, the premier noted, “unlocking this potential requires providing the right skills, opportunities, and financial resources”.

Also, the Pakistani prime minister called for an immediate end to the Israeli bombing of Gaza, where Israel’s 14-month-long offensive has killed more than 45,000. He termed the D-8 a “very important platform for cooperation” between its members, stressing that the summit was taking place at a “very critical juncture”.

“Ceasefire in Gaza is so important that without that, peace, prosperity and progress not only in the region but globally, will not be possible,” he asserted.

Addressing the leaders at the summit, he said: “It is equally important, if not more, to discuss the situation in Gaza, the ceasefire in Lebanon and the potential threat of Israel’s carnage in this area and the world over.”

He praised Sisi for allocating a separate session for the “burning issue” of crises in the Middle East.

Founded in 1997 in Istanbul, the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, also known as Developing-8, is an organisation for development cooperation among Egypt, Nigeria, Turkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran and Malaysia.

Its objective is to increase economic cooperation among member states to boost economic growth, sustain development and promote and improve standards of living by focusing on bringing improvement and enhancing cooperation in agriculture, trade, transportation, industry, energy, and tourism. The theme of this year’s summit, held from December 18 to 19, is “Investing in Youth and Supporting SMEs: Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy”.