TEHRAN Commerce is the major issue of cooperation to be discussed among the D-8 Group members, said the Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi on Saturday.

Addressing the D-8 meeting being held in Cairo, Kharrazi said just four percent of a total of 450 billion dollars worth exchanges worldwide go to the D-8 member states and only $14 billion worth exchanges are among the D-8 states themselves.

Iran welcomes the proposal of the executive board of the D-8 session on raising trade among members up to seven percent by the next five years, he said. He said that to attain the goal due planing should be made.

Kharrazi called for establishment of legal structures within framework of coordinating laws and regulations concerning facilitation of trade, removal of nontariff barriers in different forms, raising indoor commerce among the D-8 Group of states and increased contracts among private sectors.

Iran has drafted final version of the protocol on granting visas to traders of the D-8 Group member countries, said Kharrazi, adding that the protocol, which will be signed at the D-8 foreign ministers' session, will be a constructive tool for easing traffic of traders and increasing exchanges and trade among the commercial and trade companies and private sectors of D-8 members in the 21st century.

He called for facilitation of access to the communication technology and cooperation among the D-8 states to that end.

He said that Iran has been successful to set up the D-8 data bank on the Internet so as to help the member states exchange commercial and economic data.

Kharrazi is to take part at a press conference today.