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On the Independent Days: D-8 Believes Developments of Indonesia and Pakistan will Flourish

Istanbul, Turkey | August 18, 2007 by D-8 Secretariat

On August 14, Pakistan, officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, marks its 60th independence day on Tuesday with great enthusiasm, national zeal and fervor. Sixty years have passed since the Muslim-majority areas of British India were merged, forming a state of Pakistan.

All the major government buildings, plazas and other private buildings have been decorated with colorful lights, bunting and the country's green flags. The main flag-hoisting ceremony will beheld at Jinnah Convention Center in the federal capital Islamabad.

The Pakistani national anthem also played during a special assembly in Islamabad.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was there to raise the country's green and white flag and help inaugurate the celebration. In a televised address, the prime minister paid tribute to Pakistan's progress since 1947. The country's president, Pervez Musharraf, also extended an address to the nation on Monday night said that Pakistan, and especially the economy, is stronger than ever. He said that the government is continuously working to reduce poverty and improve living conditions.

Meanwhile, Indonesia is also celebrating her 62nd anniversary of independence on August 17, with the president addressed to parliament on evening August 16th. In this annual address, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono focused on the economy but also highlighted successes combating militants and controlling conflict zones in the huge country.

Indonesia's president said growth should accelerate next year to its fastest since 1996, boosting efforts to tackle widespread poverty and unemployment plaguing Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

President Yudhoyono said a 2007 economic growth target of 6.3 per cent was achievable and forecast 6.8 per cent growth next year. Indonesia needs at least 6 per cent growth to make inroads into chronic unemployment, although it fell short of that target last year, after a big increase in fuel prices in 2005 to curb huge subsidies.

Pledging better access to jobs, education and healthcare, he said next year's budget for poverty alleviation would rise to 7 trillion rupiah from 3.9 trillion this year.

Indonesia's economy was devastated by the crisis that swept the region in the late 1990s and has found some stability, but has suffered bouts of capital flight in recent years.

"We should not only tackle the surface, but we need to touch the roots of the problem such as backwardness, poverty and injustice, extremism, radicalism and the culture of violence," the president said in his address.

Red and white Indonesian flags have been fluttering from buildings for days, with celebrations for the 62nd anniversary of independence due to be held across the archipelago country on Friday, August 17, 2007.

D-8 Secretariat extends its highest congratulations for both member states of D-8 on these special occasion, and believes that both countries' relations will flourish as its cooperation within the framework of D-8 Organization developed to higher ground with the supports of all member states.

To download the full text of the speech of the president of the Republic of Indonesia on August 16th, 2007 on the bill on the state budget for the 2008 fiscal year and its financial note before the plenary session of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, please click here (right-click your mouse, and choose "Save Target As..")

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