Al-Alimi Urges Pressure on Houthis, Blinken Describes Yemeni Leadership as Bold

Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi at a meeting in Jeddah with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (Saba)
Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi at a meeting in Jeddah with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (Saba)
TT
20

Al-Alimi Urges Pressure on Houthis, Blinken Describes Yemeni Leadership as Bold

Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi at a meeting in Jeddah with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (Saba)
Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi at a meeting in Jeddah with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (Saba)

Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi discussed the situation in Yemen with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a meeting in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Saturday.

After reviewing developments in Yemen and the costly war caused by Iran-backed Houthi militias, al-Alimi called for more pressure on the militias to implement the ongoing truce.

Al-Alimi stressed the PLC’s commitment to realizing a just and comprehensive peace, based on national, regional, and international references, especially UN Security Council Resolution 2216.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara A. Leaf, US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking, and Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak attended the meeting.

Al-Alimi called for an active US role to pressure the Houthi militias to implement the terms of the truce, according to a statement carried by Yemen's state news agency Saba.

“We found great appreciation from the US for the concessions made by the Yemeni government to make the truce succeed, despite the Houthis’ lack of commitment,” Mubarak told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The US also underscored its support for the PLC and the reforms it is implementing,” he added.

“I met Yemeni PLC President al-Alimi in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss extending the UN truce to ease Yemenis’ suffering,” tweeted Blinken.

“I welcome the Government’s bold leadership on the truce. We must see meaningful Houthi action to allow access to Taiz, Yemen,” added the State Secretary in the same tweet.

Blinken underlined his country's commitment to supporting Yemen's unity, sovereignty, and stability, and to encourage regional and international allies to provide more economic and humanitarian support to the PLC, the government, and the Yemeni people.

He also stressed that his country is committed to pressuring Houthi militias to fulfill their obligations under the armistice.



Syria’s Finance Minister Says Foreign Investors Welcome after US Sanctions Move

A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
TT
20

Syria’s Finance Minister Says Foreign Investors Welcome after US Sanctions Move

A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)

Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh made a call to global investors on Wednesday to come do business with Syria after US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement that he would lift all of Washington's sanctions on the country.

"Syria today is a land of opportunities, with immense potential across every sector—from agriculture to oil, tourism, infrastructure, and transportation,” Barnieh said in an interview with Reuters at the Finance Ministry in Damascus.

"We envision a central role for the private sector in the new Syrian economy. The finance ministry's role is not to spend indiscriminately or act as a regulatory enforcer over businesses, but rather to enable and support growth."

A wall outside his office still bore the discolored outline of one of the many posters of former strongman Bashar al-Assad that used to hang in Syria's public buildings before his ousting by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) last year.

Changes in Syria have been swift since Assad fled to Russia in December of last year.

HTS commander Ahmed Sharaa was appointed president, formed a government and had quick success garnering Gulf Arab support and getting most European sanctions lifted.

The stunning turn of events was capped by a meeting between Sharaa and Trump in Riyadh on Wednesday after Trump's pledge to cease US sanctions imposed on Syria under Assad-family rule, measures widely seen as the biggest external obstacles to the country's economic recovery.

Trump has not set out a timeline for removal.

"One of the most critical outcomes of lifting sanctions would be Syria's reintegration into the global financial system," Barnieh said.

"This would allow us to restore financial flows and attract investments, which are urgently needed across all sectors,” he said, adding that Syrian authorities have already seen strong interest from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and several EU countries, among others.

He noted that the government is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of public financial management, including reforms to the tax system, customs, and banking -- part of a broader effort to modernize an economy long burdened by an oversized public sector.

He also struck a cautioning tone, saying that the removal of sanctions would be just the first step in a years-long recovery for a country ruined by 14 years of war.

"The lifting of sanctions is not the final chapter," he said.

"We cannot afford to become complacent. We are entering a new phase that demands real results and visible progress on the ground."