The second ministerial meeting between members of the League of Arab States and the Pacific Small Island Developing States has expressed support for Saudi Arabia's candidacy to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh. The meeting decided to exert all needed efforts with friendly countries to back the Kingdom's candidacy. The meeting issued a final communique — Riyadh Declaration — on Tuesday. The meeting stressed the importance of ensuring international consultation, adherence to international law and independent and verifiable scientific assessment to protect, preserve and sustainably manage the ocean and its marine resources. The meeting also stressed the centrality of providing finance and technology transfers with respect to environmental issues, in order to implement the just transition to environmentally sound economic activities. The meeting expressed the common desire to promote cooperation and establish partnerships between Arab and Pacific countries in varied fields of mutual interest, including Diplomatic relations, Economy, Trade, Investment, Renewable Energy, Tourism and Transportation, Environment Protection, Preservation of Maritime Zones, Biodiversity, Meteorology, Responses to Natural Disasters, Science and Technology, Communication, Marine Resources, Culture and Dialogue among Civilizations, Education, Scientific and Academic Exchange, Health and Humanitarian Aid, Infrastructure, Capacity Building, Human Recourses Development, Agriculture, Food Security and Sustainable Development, and People-to-People Relations. The meeting also recognized bilateral cooperation between the members of the League of Arab States and the Pacific Small Island Developing States. The meeting underscored the need to respect people's cultural and civilization specificity. They determined to steadily go forward with expediting dialogue among civilizations and cultures, with a view to achieving peace and development for all mankind. The meeting agreed to support the initiatives aimed at achieving green development, including the initiative of Saudi Arabia for the Green Middle East. The meeting expressed appreciation for the efforts of the states to achieve sustainable development and poverty reduction, leaving no one behind. It took note of the efforts in this regard under the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting related to the Sustainable Development Goals Summit in September 2023 and the Summit of the Future in September 2024. The meeting emphasized the need for mutual support between Arab countries and Pacific Small Island Developing States regarding the issues raised at the United Nations and other international platforms. The participants agreed to take steps toward signing a Memorandum of Understanding between both sides to deepen cooperation and to hold regular meetings between the Secretary-General and ministers of Pacific Small Island Developing States on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly meetings. They underlined the importance of holding bilateral meetings between ministers from both sides, on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and elsewhere whenever appropriate. The meeting emphasized their interest to establish a cooperation forum between Arab countries and Pacific Small Island Developing States in the near future, based on the commitment of both sides to reinforce relations between them. The meeting underscored the importance of raising the level of coordination and consultation between both sides, especially in New York and other international capitals that host regional headquarters of the United Nations, on various topics of mutual concern and encouraging periodic meetings on the ambassador level in these capitals. The meeting agreed to work for increasing the level of diplomatic representation between both sides and encouraging the exchange of diplomatic offices in Arab countries and Pacific Small Island Developing States, in order to activate cooperation in economic, social and other fields; and increase cooperation between both sides on wider levels. — SPA
