ANKARA (IRNA) - The Iranian Secretary-General of the Group of Developing-8 (D-8) Ali Mohammad Mousavi said the organizations 9th summit of the heads of state and government will be held in Istanbul in autumn.

Mousavi made the announcement on the sidelines of the presidential handover ceremony of the 12th President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoan which was held on August 28.

The official told IRNA that he had separate meetings with President Erdogan and Turkish Prime Minsiter Ahmet Davutolu about setting the exact time and venue for the next D-8 summit.

D-8 is a group of developing countries with large Muslim populations that have formed an economic development alliance. It consists of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.

The D-8 was founded by Necmettin Erbakan, former Turkish prime minister. The group was established after an announcement in Istanbul on 15 June 1997.