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
TT

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.



Sharaa Denies he Wants to Turn Syria into a Version of Afghanistan

This handout image made available by the Telegram channel of the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) early on December 17, 2024 shows Ahmed al-Sharaa receiving the director of the Middle East and North Africa department at Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in Damascus. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
This handout image made available by the Telegram channel of the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) early on December 17, 2024 shows Ahmed al-Sharaa receiving the director of the Middle East and North Africa department at Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in Damascus. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
TT

Sharaa Denies he Wants to Turn Syria into a Version of Afghanistan

This handout image made available by the Telegram channel of the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) early on December 17, 2024 shows Ahmed al-Sharaa receiving the director of the Middle East and North Africa department at Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in Damascus. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
This handout image made available by the Telegram channel of the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) early on December 17, 2024 shows Ahmed al-Sharaa receiving the director of the Middle East and North Africa department at Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in Damascus. (Photo by SANA / AFP)

The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has said the country is exhausted by war and is not a threat to its neighbors or to the West, denying that he wanted to turn Syria into a version of Afghanistan.

In an interview with the BBC in Damascus, he called for sanctions on Syria to be lifted.

"Now, after all that has happened, sanctions must be lifted because they were targeted at the old regime. The victim and the oppressor should not be treated in the same way," he said.

Sharaa led the lightning offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime less than two weeks ago. He is the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant group in the opposition alliance, and was previously known by his nom de guerre of Abu Mohammed al-Golani.

He said HTS should be de-listed as a terrorist organization. It is designated as one by the UN, US, EU and UK.

Sharaa denied that he wanted to turn Syria into a version of Afghanistan, saying the two countries were very different, with different traditions. Afghanistan was a tribal society. In Syria, he said, there was a different mindset.

He also told the BCC that he believed in education for women.

"We've had universities in Idlib for more than eight years," Sharaa said, referring to Syria's northwestern province that has been held by opposition fighters since 2011.

"I think the percentage of women in universities is more than 60%."