Int'l Community Welcomes Yemeni PM’s Return to Aden

Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalek heads a meeting in Aden. Saba Net
Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalek heads a meeting in Aden. Saba Net
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Int'l Community Welcomes Yemeni PM’s Return to Aden

Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalek heads a meeting in Aden. Saba Net
Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalek heads a meeting in Aden. Saba Net

The return of Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalek to the interim capital Aden following a visit to several governorates has been welcomed by the international community.

In a statement welcoming his return, US Charge d’Affaires Cathy Westley said Thursday that all parties should “work together toward restoring peace and stability, addressing the public’s needs, improving basic services, and promoting economic recovery.”

“We stand with the Yemeni people and support the government’s efforts to realize the hopes and aspirations of all Yemenis for a better future,” she added.

Abdulmalek had made short visits to Shabwa and Hadhramaut governorates.

The EU Delegation to Yemen also welcomed his return to Aden.

“We urge all parties to ensure safe and smooth functioning of the government. Only while in Yemen can the government address the needs of all Yemenis,” it said in a statement on Twitter.

“Parties must commit to the full implementation of the Riyadh Agreement and support the UN-led peace efforts,” it added.

The Heads of missions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the US also welcomed the return of the Prime Minister to the temporary capital.

"It is vital that the government is fully supported to bring security and stability, and deliver the essential services, including economic reforms, that the people of Yemen desperately need," they said in a joint statement.

"In the context of a deteriorating economic situation, the government must be allowed to resume its work from Aden," said the statement.

"We urge all parties to deliver on their commitments and work together constructively on behalf of the Yemeni people to implement the Riyadh Agreement," they added.



US Links Ankara-Damascus Normalization to Political Solution in Syria

Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
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US Links Ankara-Damascus Normalization to Political Solution in Syria

Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)

Recent statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his willingness to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to normalize relations between the two countries have sparked mixed reactions.
While the Syrian opposition sees the possibility of such a meeting despite the challenges, Damascus views the statements as a political maneuver by the Turks. Meanwhile, the United States has tied the normalization process to achieving a political solution in Syria based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, issued in 2015.
Turkish media reported on Thursday that a US administration official, who was not named, confirmed that Washington is against normalizing relations with the Syrian regime under Assad. He emphasized that Washington cannot accept normalizing ties with Damascus without progress toward a political solution that ends the conflicts in Syria.
Meanwhile, the head of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, Hadi al-Bahra, stated that a meeting between Assad and Erdogan is possible despite the obstacles. In a statement to Reuters on Thursday, Bahra said the meeting is feasible, even though Ankara is fully aware that the Assad regime cannot currently meet its demands and understands the regime’s limitations.
Bahra pointed out that the UN-led political process remains frozen and that he had briefed US and Western officials on the latest developments in the Syrian file. On Saturday, Bahra participated in a consultative meeting in Ankara with the Syrian Negotiation Commission, along with a high-level delegation from the US State Department, during which they exchanged views on the political solution and the need to establish binding mechanisms for implementing international resolutions related to the Syrian issue.
On the other side, Assad’s special advisor, Bouthaina Shaaban, dismissed Erdogan’s announcement that Ankara is awaiting a response from Damascus regarding his meeting with Assad for normalization as another political maneuver with ulterior motives.
Shaaban, speaking during a lecture at the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was reported by Turkish media on Thursday, stated that any rapprochement between the two countries is contingent on its withdrawal of forces from Syrian territory.