RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency, KSrelief, recently participated in the seventh International Meeting on Triangular Cooperation titled “Expanding Partnerships” in Lisbon, Portugal. KSrelief Assistant Supervisor General of Planning and Development Aqeel Al-Ghamdi attended the meeting, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. The meeting was organized by the Portuguese Foreign Ministry and the Development Cooperation Directorate of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Speakers stressed the importance of having strong partnerships between governments, development agencies, international organizations, civil society organizations and the private sector.  During the meeting, participants exchanged ideas and expertise and identified new opportunities in the field of triangular cooperation. More than 200 participants from governments, development agencies, international organizations, civil society organizations, and the private sector attended the event to discuss recent trends and look for ways to strengthen cooperation for global development.   On the sidelines of the meeting, Al-Ghamdi met with the OECD director for development cooperation, Maria Gonzalo. Al-Ghamdi recalled the support provided by the Kingdom for three decades to the countries of the south, by implementing more than 5,170 development projects at a cost exceeding $99 billion. He also stressed the importance of discussing the affairs of the refugees in the region, as the Kingdom hosts nearly one million refugees, provides them with basic services, education and healthcare, and exempts them from taxes at a cost of approximately $24 billion, in addition to allowing them to work inside the Kingdom. Al-Ghamdi clarified the importance of enhancing the participation of the private sector in the next Arab Dialogue meetings. Both parties also discussed topics of mutual interest, including topics covered by the Arab-DAC Dialogue on Development, which is organized by the committee in collaboration with the Arab Coordination Group.