RIYADH — Saudi Arabia supports the African Union's bid to gain permanent membership of the G20 group of large economies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

“The Kingdom supports the African Union’s (AU) joining of the G20 as a permanent member due to its importance in addressing the current challenges, such as climate change, economic slowdown, debt distress, and unsteady recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, which require collective efforts to address the challenges within the framework of cooperation and mutual trust between the Kingdom and the AU countries,” the statement read.

The Kingdom also looks forward to strengthening the bilateral relations and taking them to higher levels to serve the interests of the two sides. — SPA