NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia welcomed the launch of the Global Alliance for South-South and Triangular Cooperation, emphasizing its importance in enhancing integration, reducing duplication and respecting countries’ national priorities. In a speech delivered on the UN Day for South-South Cooperation, the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the UN Abdulaziz Al-Wasil said that Vision 2030 aligned with the priorities of South-South cooperation. This included economic diversification, digital transformation, innovation, sustainability, youth empowerment and private-sector development, he said. The Saudi Fund for Development had supported and financed development projects and programs across various sectors in more than 100 developing countries, he said. Al-Wasil reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to working with member states, the UN and other partners to strengthen cooperation and achieve more prosperous, sustainable and inclusive development. Observed annually on Sept. 12, the UN Day for South-South Cooperation celebrates growing solidarity, collaboration and the exchange of practical solutions among the countries of the Global South. It recognizes that each has valuable knowledge, experience and innovation to share and that progress is strongest when countries learn from one another, according to the UN website. This year’s theme is “Solidarity Rising: Global Alliance for Inclusive and Innovative Development,” which highlights how cooperation can help countries connect proven solutions with the partners, expertise and support needed to scale them.