Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,
 
A Salam Aleykum,
 
I am pleased to convey my greetings to the Global South-South Development Expo.
 
I thank the Government of the United Arab Emirates for hosting this important gathering, with the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation.
 
Countries of the South are vital to global economic success and to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
 
I welcome your decision to highlight the central role of South-South and triangular cooperation, focusing on green technology transfer, industrial innovation, and global health and food security.
 
These cross-cutting challenges are at the heart of the SDGs.
 
I urge you to seize this opportunity to engage, build bridges, and develop sustainable strategies together.
 
I wish you a productive and rewarding Expo.
 
Shukran Zajilan.