Cairo: Member states of the Developing-8 (D-8) group adopted the Cairo Trade Declaration at the close of a ministerial meeting on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, moving forward with plans to deepen economic cooperation and expand preferential trade, Egypt's Investment Minister Hassan El-Khatib said.

According to State Information Service Egypt, El-Khatib stated that the ministers approved reports from the group's supervisory and expert committees and endorsed terms of reference for negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). These outcomes build on commitments made at the D-8 Cairo Summit in December 2024, particularly the shift from political coordination to initiatives such as trade facilitation, support for small and medium enterprises, and cooperation in technology and artificial intelligence.

The ministers agreed to accelerate implementation of the D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and strengthen customs tools tied to it, describing the agreement as central to boosting intra-group trade. El-Khatib highlighted progress on a new D-8 Business Forum aimed at attracting joint investment and bringing together business leaders from member states to identify projects in priority sectors.

He noted that Egypt aims to leverage its geographic position, logistics network, and special economic zones to support greater regional integration between Africa and Asia. El-Khatib expressed gratitude to the D-8 Secretariat, led by Secretary-General Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam, for its role in preparing the meeting, and acknowledged the member states for their engagement and confidence in Egypt's chairmanship.