Indonesia has reaffirmed its commitment to push for more concrete economic cooperation within the Developing Eight (D-8) economic cooperation organization, according to Tri Tharyat, Director General of Multilateral Cooperation at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry. Speaking at a policy direction and priority setting event in Jakarta, he noted that all D-8 member states already have a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) in place, although Egypt and Azerbaijan have yet to ratify it. Indonesia plans to propose improvements to the PTA scheme, including lowering trade tariffs among D-8 members, to ensure that trade benefits reach the broader population across the member countries. As part of its chairmanship for the 2026–2027 period, Indonesia will also prioritize the development of the halal industry, strengthening the blue economy cooperation, and facilitating the transition toward a green economy. 

Director of Social, Cultural, and Strategic Partnerships at the Foreign Ministry, Ary Aprianto, highlighted that Indonesia began implementing the D-8 PTA on June 1, 2024, and within roughly 13–14 months, Indonesian exports under the scheme have reached nearly USD 28 million (around IDR 468.7 billion). The government aims to expand PTA coverage, which currently includes concessions on about 200 to 700 tariff lines. Aprianto also pointed to cooperation in education, research, and innovation facilitated through a D-8 network involving universities from all member states, though Indonesia has yet to have representation in that network. Indonesia will host the D-8 Summit on April 15, 2026, in Jakarta, along with related forums such as a Business and Investment Forum and the D-8 Halal Expo as part of its chairmanship agenda. 

Source: https://m.antaranews.com/berita/5313790/indonesia-dorong-d-8-hasilkan-kerja-sama-ekonomi-konkret