(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 17.​ In line with discussions held between President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and the Secretary-General of the Developing 8 Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) in Baku on March 4, 2025, Azerbaijan continues to play an active role within the organization, Trend reports.

This week marks the first-ever D-8 Week in Azerbaijan, featuring several key events, including the establishment of the D-8 Energy and Climate Center, the D-8 Media Excellence Center, and the D-8 Transport Excellence Center. The agenda also includes the first informal meeting of D-8 Commissioners and the High-Level Dialogue on Climate and Cities.

During the events, participants discussed reforms aimed at bolstering the D-8's role as an economic powerhouse and kicked around new avenues for cooperation in climate action, urban development, and media. Azerbaijan, which joined the D-8 as its first new member since the organization's founding 27 years ago, hosted these initiatives as part of its COP29 Presidency.

The event brought together climate and urban development ministers, commissioners, and city leaders from D-8 member countries: Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Malaysia.

Egypt is at the helm of the D-8 for now, but come January 1, 2026, Indonesia will take the reins. The D-8 High-Level Dialogue on Climate and Cities, held under Azerbaijan's COP29 Presidency, brought together ministers of climate and urban planning from D-8 member countries, alongside D-8 commissioners and city leaders from across the region. The participants also took part in Azerbaijan's Third National Urban Planning Forum, further strengthening cooperation on sustainable urban development and climate resilience within the D-8 framework.

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