On behalf of HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Deputy Premier participates in second Voice of Global South Summit
Manama, Nov. 17 (BNA): Commissioned by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, the Deputy Prime Minister, today participated in the virtual concluding session of the second Voice of Global South Summit (VOGSS), bringing together heads of states and governments, under the theme “Global South: Together for one future”.
The kingdom took part in the concluding session of the second VOGSS based on an invitation addressed to HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
Prime Minister Modi, in his letter of invitation, lauded Bahrain’s effective participation in the first VOGSS, hosted by India earlier this year to shed light on the priorities of developing countries in conjunction with its G20 presidency.
Addressing the session, the deputy premier conveyed the greetings and appreciation of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and those of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister to the participants, as well as their wishes for success to the summit, and further progress and prosperity to India.
Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla expressed thanks to India for hosting the second Voice of Global South Summit, whose concluding session was chaired by Prime Minister Modi, with the participation of 13 heads of state or government, or their representatives.
This indicates India’s commitment to strengthening cooperation among the countries of the South to address pressing challenges, he said, affirming the kingdom’s support for the summit’s objectives in affirming the need for a more comprehensive, equitable and just international system that takes into account the needs of developing and least developed countries.
The Deputy Prime Minister said: “Through the G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, issued during the G20 Summit, the Republic of India succeeded in achieving significant progress on key priorities for the countries of the Global South, starting from strengthening the representative nature of the G20, to various aspects related to the Sustainable Development Goals, reforming multilateral institutions, as well as combating terrorism and extremism, in addition to other vital issues.”
Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla pointed out that the goals of the second VOGSS are of utmost importance in building and strengthening effective partnerships among countries of the South by harnessing the power of science, technology and innovation for development purposes, enhancing participation in international trade and regional integration, and enabling them to confront all challenges, including climate change, environmental degradation, recovering from global epidemics, and building their capabilities to meet future challenges.
The deputy premier added: “The Kingdom of Bahrain firmly believes in the importance of international cooperation within the framework of South-South cooperation. The Kingdom has launched a number of joint cooperation and capacity-building projects in a number of countries in various fields, with the aim of ensuring that they benefit from its pioneering experiences, and enhancing knowledge exchange among our friendly countries. Bahrain also encourages the private sector to invest abroad and establish projects that benefit the communities of developing and least developed economies.”
He indicated that based on its Economic Vision 2030, Bahrain has been keen to establish open and balanced economic relations with various countries, as it tops the list of countries in the Middle East region in many indicators of economic freedom, namely the freedom of investment, freedom of trade, financial freedom, and efficiency of legislation. He also underlined Bahrain’s keenness to transfer its pioneering experience in entrepreneurship to more than 48 countries in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
The deputy premier asserted that the Kingdom has always emphasised the importance of international solidarity in giving priority to dialogue and diplomatic solutions to end wars and conflicts in accordance with the principles of international law, combating extremism and terrorism, spreading the culture of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, as well as consolidating dialogue among civilisations, cultures and religions.
He underlined the kingdom’s support for international partnerships aimed at addressing global challenges, such as poverty and its causes, achieving water and food security, and confronting climate change, which requires a comprehensive approach based on cooperation and partnership.
Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla reiterated the kingdom’s stance on the need to end all global conflicts, especially in the Middle East region, citing its call on the international community to fulfill its obligations by reaching an urgent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, protecting civilians and opening safe corridors to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in a just and comprehensive manner by establishing a Palestinian state in accordance with the two-state solution and the resolutions of international legitimacy.
The Deputy Prime Minister wished the second Voice of Global South Summit every success in achieving the forecast goals, while taking into account the interests and needs of developing countries in formulating and implementing a global development system that paves the way for turning the theme of “Together for one future” into reality and meeting the aspirations of peoples for development and prosperity.
The second Voice of Global South Summit provides an important platform for the leaders of the participating countries to discuss ways to enhance and build on the G20 achievements, as well as means to deepen and broaden South-South partnership.
