D8 - Pakistan Suggests Use The US$1.5 Billion IDB Allocation On Food Security

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (bernama)-- Pakistan suggested today that funds for the development of five initiatives under the Developing Eight (D8) Initiative To Address Food Security could be sourced from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

Its head of delegation to the just-concluded Minister's Meeting on Food Security, Lt Gen (Rtd) Tahir M.Qazi, said that that IDB had allocated US$1.5 billion (RM5.5 billion) for food crisis in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) countries for the next five years under the Jeddah Declaration.

He told Bernama on Friday that the D8 countries being OIC members were eligible to draw from this fund as they were also working on food security.

D8 comprises Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, Nigeria and Egypt.

The five initiatives agreed on at the meeting which ended here today were setting up a seed bank,(Turkey & Iran), fertiliser(Egypt), Animal feed, (Malaysia & Indonesia), standards and trade issues (Iran and Turkey) and marine and fisheries (Indonesia).

Tahir, who is also Pakistan's High Commissioner to Malaysia, said the meeting was very fruitful and it was not "just talk" as expected by some countries earlier.

He said some concrete proposals were made and responsibilities were given to member countries with a time set to get the job done.

Tahir was also happy with the enthusiasm and determination shown by member countries in wanting to work together for the common good of the ummah.

-- BERNAMA