Saudi Arabia calls for joint working approach to achieve development, stability at G77+China summit
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday underlined the Kingdom’s belief in working through a common and integrative approach to achieve development, prosperity and stability.
Delivering the Kingdom’s speech on behalf of King Salman at the G77+China Summit in the Cuban capital Havana, Prince Faisal conveyed the Saudi leaders’ greetings and wishes for success for the annual meeting.
He said his country pays great attention to development issues and through the Saudi Fund for Development, it has helped finance more than 700 development projects in more than 85 countries, totaling more than 18 billion dollars and targeting sectors such as social infrastructure and transport. and agriculture.
Humanitarian aid provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Center since its establishment in 2015 has exceeded $6 billion and has helped 91 countries, Bin Farhan said.
The Saudi minister highlighted the importance of investing in clean energy technologies, which would facilitate a just and complete transition to clean energy, as the Kingdom operated under a circular carbon economy that helped reduce carbon emissions.
Prince Faisal said strengthening international cooperation was a key factor in achieving global climate goals, particularly in innovation, research and development, to promote clean energy technologies and achieve ambitions of net zero emissions.
He said the Kingdom views sustainability as an engine of growth and progress and strives to integrate economic, social and environmental aspects into development initiatives.
“The Kingdom shares with the world the challenges (that countries) face in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including environmental challenges,” he told delegates.
“The Kingdom is working in this direction through several initiatives, including the Middle East Green Initiative and the Saudi Green Initiative, which contribute to achieving global goals to combat climate change,” he said.
Prince Faisal said this included the Kingdom’s recent announcement of “the establishment of a global water organization which aims to develop and integrate the efforts of countries and organizations to ensure the sustainability of water resources in order to to improve opportunities for everyone to access it in order to respond to water-related challenges globally.
“The Kingdom also makes all efforts within the framework of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and works within the framework of Vision 2030 to protect land and natural resources and avoid the causes of land degradation and desertification,” he said.
The minister said Saudi Arabia looks forward to welcoming Convention member states to the capital, Riyadh, next year.
The Kingdom also wanted to consolidate its role within the Digital Cooperation Organization, which aimed to bridge the digital divide between countries, and paid great attention to digital and information technology, as these have become a essential tool in societies and the construction of an advanced digital sector was necessary. a key axis of Vision 2030.
The Kingdom’s delegation attending the summit included Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Abdulaziz Al-Wasel, Ambassador to Cuba Faisal Al-Harbi and Director General of the Foreign Minister’s Office Abdulrahman Al-Daoud.
The Group of 77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries within the UN, which empowers countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and strengthen their capacity for common negotiation on all issues. major international economic issues within the United Nations system. and promote South-South cooperation for development.
Although the bloc, created in 1964, now includes 134 countries, the original name has been retained due to its historical significance.
Cuba took over the rotating presidency in January and this year’s agenda covered the fight against climate change, the global economic system and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
