Yemen FM: Biden's Visit Presents Opportunity to Achieve Consensus on Yemen Crisis

Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Yemen FM: Biden's Visit Presents Opportunity to Achieve Consensus on Yemen Crisis

Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak considered the upcoming visit of US President Joe Biden to Saudi Arabia an opportunity to achieve regional and international consensus that would be reflected in resolving the Yemeni crisis.

“We look at the visit positively, hoping that the US administration will renew its position in support of the stability and security of the region in general and Yemen in particular,” said bin Mubarak.

“The visit constitutes an opportunity to achieve regional-international consensus on the Yemeni issue, in light of the recent developments and the continuation of the coup militias to obstruct the path of the UN truce,” he added.

In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Mubarak stressed that the only way to ensure stability and security requires stopping Iranian meddling in Yemen.

“To ensure the stability of energy markets in the world, the region must be stable, and here we are talking especially about Yemen,” said bin Mubarak.

“It is not possible to talk about the stability of the region and the world, and the guarantee of the flow of energy and food supplies, in light of the clear Iranian interference and support for the Houthi militias threatening international shipping lanes,” he added.

“We believe that stopping the Iranian regime's interference in Yemen is the only way to establish peace and stability,” asserted bin Mubarak.

He also noted that Yemen doesn’t need more initiatives, but rather needs existing ones to be implemented.

The top Yemeni diplomat also doubted the truce with the militias would last, especially that the Iran-backed group has already failed to fulfill its commitments and chose to escalate on several fronts.

Mubarak described Yemen-US relations as “strategic.”

Yemen’s ties with Washington do not stop at combating terrorism only, but also go beyond that to support building Yemeni institutions, providing humanitarian aid, and supporting the Yemeni people in various crises and stages, affirmed the foreign minister.



Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Our Top Priority is Energy Support

The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
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Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Our Top Priority is Energy Support

The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)

Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Anatolii Petrenko, stressed that his country’s “top priority is energy support in multiple ways,” pointing to preparatory measures between Saudi Arabia and Ukraine concerning a Saudi aid package, most of which consists of energy equipment.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Petrenko said that the Kingdom has been assisting Ukrainian civilians since the early days of the “full-scale Russian invasion,” as he described it. He said Saudi aid “has helped provide decent living conditions for our people, who have been forced by the war to relocate to safe areas within the country. It has also helped us maintain citizens' access to medical services and sustain social infrastructure.”
The ambassador emphasized the difficult period Ukraine is facing due to “energy shortages caused by regular Russian attacks on critical infrastructure,” which previously ensured daily needs for urban and municipal areas. He expressed concern about the approaching winter season and the severe drop in temperatures across the country.
Petrenko pointed to the need for energy resources, as well as access to light, water and heat, to enable the Ukrainian agricultural sector to continue contributing to global and regional food security.
He expressed his country’s firm belief in the importance of Saudi Arabia’s support to bring energy self-sufficiency in Ukraine, presently and in the long term.”
He added: “Through our united efforts, we can enhance the green energy agenda by smartly utilizing diverse renewable energy sources as key resources that can give us complete energy independence.”
The Ukrainian ambassador described the Saudi friendship as “an Arab generosity.” He noted that both Ukraine and the Kingdom were jointly studying “the latest innovations and sustainable technologies, such as combined heat and power plants and piston turbines, which could offset energy losses in various regions of Ukraine and thus prevent humanitarian crises in the winter season for hundreds of thousands of people.”
On the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, Petrenko stated that his country “stands firmly to celebrate another anniversary of its independence, while appreciating the immense contributions and aid provided by international partners and friends, including Saudi Arabia, which holds a prominent position in leading humanitarian efforts in the region and encourages others to follow the same approach.”
“This represents a success story that will open a new chapter in energy resilience, which helps us achieve national independence,” he underlined.
The ambassador added that Ukraine highly values its bilateral relations with the Kingdom.
“On behalf of my country, I express my gratitude to Saudi Arabia, both the government and the people, for everything they are doing to alleviate the humanitarian challenges facing civilians today,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Riyadh continues to send planes carrying tons of humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRELIEF).
This follows an agreement and memorandum of understanding signed by both sides last year, which included providing an additional humanitarian aid package to Ukraine amounting to $400 million, as well as emergency medical and shelter aid valued at $10 million for refugees from Ukraine to neighboring countries, particularly Poland, in coordination with the Polish government and UN organizations.