Muscat: Sayyid Badr al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, is taking part in the two-day G77 + China Summit at Havana, the capital of Cuba.
In his statement, Sayyid Badr convened the greetings of His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik and his best wishes for the event and congratulated the Republic of Cuba on assuming the presidency of the G77 + China.
"We would also like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for its efforts during its presidency of the previous session. And I also wish to welcome the high-level engagement of China here. China’s relations with the G77 countries, and its role in supporting development in many regions of the world, are both highly appreciated by the Sultanate of Oman. I should note that Oman has been working hard in the fields of technology, science, and innovation to advance its development strategy. We work diligently to develop our digital economy, diversify our sources of income, and maintain the pace of our sustainable growth and prosperity."
He added that the significant progress in the field of artificial intelligence represents a pivotal opportunity that opens doors to great potential for economic and social improvements.
"We know that achieving this requires effective international cooperation, including the exchange of knowledge and technology, and establishing
frameworks to ensure the responsible and sustainable use of artificial intelligence, strengthening institutional systems and their various structures.
Oman Vision 2040 aims to stimulate innovation and investment, develop human resources, and empower the public and private sectors to contribute to development in all its social, economic, and scientific dimensions," Sayyid Badr said.
He stressed that a number of developing countries still face major challenges in their ability to deal with issues such as climate change, energy security, food security, health, and education, which prevent them from achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
"We see the importance of addressing the concerns of nations of the global south and working to intensify south-south cooperation. Such meetings such as today, shed light and contribute to addressing the multiple crises faced by developing countries in supply chain disruptions, debt constraints, political issues, as well as challenges related to climate change," Sayyid Badr said.
As sustainable development is a common goal for all parties, including civil society organizations and the private sector, the Foreign Minister stressed the importance of multilateral international cooperation and the need to exert concerted efforts for the development of strategies and executive mechanisms to achieve sustainable development. "This is the way to enable our world to close the economic gap between developed and developing countries, and achieve sustainable development for all."
He added that it is vital to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology, create funding mechanisms, and stimulate scientific research and innovation so that societies can develop solutions to address contemporary development issues and their pressing challenges, to ensure active participation and mutual commitment of all countries.
Sayyid Badr praised the Republic of Cuba for its efforts to prepare for this summit and for its warm reception and hospitality.
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