Minister of Economy and Planning Participates in Meetings of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Development within Italian G20 Presidency

Matera, July 01, 2021, SPA -- The Minister of Economy and Planning, Faisal bin Fadel Al-Ibrahim, participated in a joint ministerial meeting of foreign and development ministers and another meeting of development ministers within the Italian presidency of the G20 in Matera, Italy. The joint meeting focused on strengthening the efforts of the G20 countries to achieve global food security and obtaining the necessary political support to take concrete measures to confront the food crises arising from COVID-19 pandemic. The Italian Presidency confirmed that the G20 members should give adequate priority to food security in their pandemic response plans. Minister of Economy and Planning said that the negative results of COVID-19 pandemic have affected the stability of global food security, which exacerbated the impact on the poorest families in almost all countries with the effects expected to continue through 2022. He added that an increasing number of countries face severe and escalating levels of food insecurity which practically leads to the loss of the developmental gains achieved during the past years. He added that "We must think of innovative plans that can provide food for everyone, everywhere, every day, by focusing on food security and food safety, through a series of policies and regulatory reforms aimed at improving the efficiency and integration of local food markets around the world." The meeting resulted in the Matera Declaration of the G20 of Foreign and Development Ministers, which focused on reaffirming the commitment of the G20 to address current food emergencies and work to build resilient and sustainable food systems, with the aim of achieving a world without hunger by 2030. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirmed its support for the declaration and the efforts of the G20 to encourage partners and concerned parties to cooperate or join the Food Alliance. The goals of the Declaration are closely related to what was discussed in the G20 Development Group, the Working Group, and the Financial track. Minister of Economy and Planning, Faisal bin Fadel Al-Ibrahim, represented the Kingdom in the ministerial development session within the Italian Presidency of the G20. The session aimed to discuss with the members of the G20, countries of the world, and international organizations, the opportunities to achieve progress in recovery plans from COVID-19 pandemic and its implications. It also aimed to provide political support for recovery plans to members of the G20 and developing countries. Minister of Economy and Planning said that "Today, more than ever, we need to make efforts to achieve a development agenda with a greater impact, and the challenges of the pandemic represent an opportunity to restore momentum by activating the positive impact of inclusive policies." The Minister added that "We affirm our support for the Italian Presidency to move forward and expand our collective influence at this stage that presents challenges and historical opportunities for the G20, and we look forward to continuing this progress during the Indonesian presidency next year." --SPA