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"We
must be able to embrace modernity by becoming forward looking, by
becoming knowledge-driven, by advancing a culture of
excellence," said Yudhoyono (c). (Reuters)
|
BALI,
May 13, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - A summit of eight
most heavyweight Muslim countries opened on Saturday, May 13, on
Indonesia's resort island of Bali with calls by Indonesian and Iranian
leaders for unity and greater cooperation in the energy domain.
Indonesian
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged the members of the Developing
8 (D-8) to address the global oil crisis by working together to
develop alternative energy sources, intensify cooperation to combat
pandemics and promote dialogue among civilizations, reported Agence
France-Presse (AFP).
"We
must be able to embrace modernity by becoming forward looking, by
becoming knowledge-driven, by advancing a culture of excellence,"
Yudhoyono said in his speech opening the summit.
Yudhoyono
said the D-8 nations wanted to achieve progress "through peace
not war, dialogue not confrontation, cooperation not exploitation,
justice not double standards, equality not discrimination, democracy
not oppression."
The
Indonesian leader pointed out the meeting was being held on an island
with a Hindu majority, underscoring the group's "commitment to
promote tolerance as a bedrock of world peace."
He
also praised the resilience of the Balinese in dealing with the
aftermath of terrorist attacks. Blasts in 2002 and 2005 killed more
than 220 people and were blamed on a militant group with links to
Al-Qaeda.
D-8
groups Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan
and Turkey. The forum focuses on commercial and economic cooperation
among member states, including in the areas of science, industry and
investment.
The
eight nations have a population of about 500 million people combined.
The
heads of state were in particular set to discuss ways to avert a
global energy crisis by developing renewable and alternative energy
sources including nuclear power, efforts to combat problems such as
AIDS and bird flu and address the debt problems of developing
countries.
The
group held its first summit in 1997 and last met in Tehran in February
2004.
Muslim
Welfare
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"We
can offer a good model of cooperation and understanding based on
justice to the world," said Ahmadinejad (L).
|
Iran's
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, handing over the grouping's
chairmanship to Yudhoyono, urged D-8 member states to work together
for the welfare of the Islamic world and the entire world community.
"We
are all members of the Muslim ummah (community) and the human society
as a whole and thus have shared interests and concerns," he said.
Greater
cooperation "will bring about greater strength, dignity and
progress to the Muslim ummah... which can be used in the service of
international peace and security and also the welfare of the entire
international community," he said.
"We
can offer a good model of cooperation and understanding based on
justice to the world," he said.
"In
this context the Islamic Republic of Iran feels obliged to mobilize
all its means and possibilities to further strengthen D-8."
Ahmadinejad,
however, did not touch on his country's nuclear dispute with the West
in his opening remarks, although nuclear energy is one of the topics
the leaders will discuss later in the day.
Washington
claims that Iran's nuclear program is a cover to build atomic weapons
while Tehran maintains it is only meant to produce power.
Free
Trade Hopes
Speaking
at D-8 business forum before the start of the summit, Indonesian Trade
Minister Mari E. Pangestu said that the path toward creating a Free
Trade Agreement (FTA) for D-8 countries would be made possible by
first of all expanding the coverage of the Preferential Trade
Agreement (PTA).
"ASEAN
needed 15 years to move from PTA to FTA. We hope we don't need that
long to create an FTA for the D-8," Mari said, referring to the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, reported The Jakarta Post.
"Three
years from now, we need to review the PTA and find ways to widen its
coverage."
The
PTA, to be signed Saturday, will gradually reduce tariffs among member
states within four years for developing member countries and eight
years for least developed members.
The
PTA would also eliminate non-tariff barriers such as quotas and other
restrictions and all tariffs such as border charges, fees and taxes on
trade transactions.
The
agreement also covers standards to ensure that standards will not
impede trade. It requires that the standards, such as those on
environmental protection, are drawn based on transparent, scientific
and specific criteria.
In
addition to the PTA, D-8 governments will also sign Saturday the
agreement on administrative assistance in customs matters to ensure
that customs procedures will not hamper trade flow.
Under
the agreement, all member countries are required to facilitate the
transit of goods by simplifying and harmonizing customs procedures and
compliance mechanisms.
