D-8 Visa Agreement Ratification Will Significantly Boost Trade, Says Private Sectors

Istanbul, Turkey | January 11, 2009 by D-8 Secretariat

DEIK chairperson, Zuhal Mansfield, giving her presentation during D-8 26th Commission Meeting

In accordance with the main purposes of the organization, D-8 member countries have already designed several agreements including the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), Administrative Assistance on Custom Matters, and Simplification on Visa Procedures for Business Persons.

During the recent D-8 6th Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a number of accomplishments have been made within these lines. Ideas such as Visa Simplification, and establishment of a D-8 free trade area alongside had made progress in forging a Preferential Trade Agreement. Four members of the forum have already concluded bilateral Free Trade Agreements, and this trend is expected to encompass all others. The Summit also resulted in Malaysia signing an agreement on simplification of visa procedures for D8 businessmen.

D-8 Secretary General, Dipo Alam, said during the Summit that the grouping shall work together so that the developed countries could remove their tariff and non-tariff barriers against their productive exports.

The Summit also officially endorsed the Roadmap for Economic Cooperation in the Second Decade of Cooperation (2008-2018) as “the vision to guide our activities in the next ten years” and instructed the D-8 Commission as well as the secretariat to translate the roadmap into action plans.

The roadmap is aimed at increasing trade between member states from the current five percent to at least 10 to 15 percent of the total trade volume of D-8 countries. It places emphasis on three areas: a preferential trade agreement (PTA) that will be the main vehicle of trade between member countries, the customs agreement that will facilitate the movement of goods, and the visa agreement enabling smoother travel of the business community from one member state to another.

Zuhal Mansfield

The urgency to expedite the visa exemption, or at least, simplification, has been gaining weight recently as the private sectors are stressing the importance of the agreement to boost trade among the member countries. In the 26th Session of the D-8 Commission Meeting in Istanbul recently, the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) through its chairperson, Zuhal Mansfield reiterated how significant the visa agreement is for enhancement of D-8 commercial relations. Noting that Visa is not required for Turkish citizens visiting Malaysia and Iran, but is a must for the rest of the member countries, Mansfield said that visa procedures are the obstacles in developing business among D-8 countries.

“Any attempt for exemption of visa, if not, visa simplification will tremendously contribute to enhancement of Turkey’s economical relations with other D-8 countries,” she said in her presentation. She added that this might be realized for the owners of companies with an annual turnover at an amount determined by D-8.

D-8 Secretariat through its Secretary General, Dipo Alam, has followed up her suggestion by circulating letters to D-8 Head of States, appealing the countries that has not yet ratified the D-8 Visa Agreement to expedite the ratification process. Prior this year, D-8 Secretariat has made similar appeal and three member countries (Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan) has responded in timely manner.

“We hope that the readiness from these countries can work as a locomotive for further intra-trade relations among moslem and developing countres,” said Dipo Alam, adding that he believes the rest of the countries will do expedite the ratification process very soon. He noted that Malaysia government had completed the rest of member countries signing the visa agreement during the last summit, and now entering the ratification process.

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