Yemen Urges Diplomatic Missions to Resume Work in Aden

Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak with European ambassadors (EU in Yemen)
Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak with European ambassadors (EU in Yemen)
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Yemen Urges Diplomatic Missions to Resume Work in Aden

Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak with European ambassadors (EU in Yemen)
Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak with European ambassadors (EU in Yemen)

The Yemeni Foreign Ministry urged diplomatic missions to resume their work from the interim capital, Aden, pledging to provide all facilities to enhance the state's role.

Foreign diplomatic missions closed their embassies and evacuated their staff from Sanaa after the Houthi militia took control of the capital in September 2014.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak revealed that Ministry's office in Aden would resume its diplomatic and institutional activities in full force.

Bin Mubarak visited the new headquarters of the Foreign Ministry in Aden, accompanied by several European Ambassadors.

He pointed out that the resumption of work in the new building would encourage diplomatic missions to carry out their work from Aden.

The FM reaffirmed that achieving peace in Yemen under the three terms of reference comes at the top of the priorities of the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government.

According to bin Mubarak, the Council and the government are working to improve public services and promote living and economic conditions despite all the challenges and humanitarian problems the country is experiencing due to the Houthi aggression.

He announced that the militias did not stop their military assault in various Yemeni regions, stressing the need to pressure Houthis and support the Presidential Council politically and economically to achieve peace.

In turn, the chief of the European Union Mission to Yemen, Gabriel Vinales, stressed the importance of renewing and expanding the UN-led truce.

Vinales reaffirmed firm support for the UN Sec-Gen Special Envoy's efforts to bring peace to Yemen.

Later, the ambassadors met Minister of Defense Lt-Gen Mohsen al-Daeri and commended the government's commitment to lasting peace. They expressed support for efforts to unify military and security formations.



EU’s Kallas Says She Hopes for Political Agreement on Easing Syria Sanctions

In this photograph taken on January 12, 2025, a vendor waits for customers at her mobile shop in the Damascus Tower market, which specializes in the smart phone business, in the Syrian capital. (AFP)
In this photograph taken on January 12, 2025, a vendor waits for customers at her mobile shop in the Damascus Tower market, which specializes in the smart phone business, in the Syrian capital. (AFP)
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EU’s Kallas Says She Hopes for Political Agreement on Easing Syria Sanctions

In this photograph taken on January 12, 2025, a vendor waits for customers at her mobile shop in the Damascus Tower market, which specializes in the smart phone business, in the Syrian capital. (AFP)
In this photograph taken on January 12, 2025, a vendor waits for customers at her mobile shop in the Damascus Tower market, which specializes in the smart phone business, in the Syrian capital. (AFP)

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday she hopes a political agreement on easing Syria sanctions can be reached at a gathering of European ministers next week.

EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation in Syria during a meeting in Brussels on Jan. 27.

European officials began rethinking their approach towards Syria after Bashar al-Assad was ousted as president by opposition forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which the United Nations designates as a terrorist group.

Some European capitals want to move quickly to suspend economic sanctions in a signal of support for the transition in Damascus. Others have sought to ensure that even if some sanctions are eased, Brussels retains leverage in its relationship with the new Syrian authorities.

“We are ready to do step-for-step approach and also to discuss what is the fallback position,” Kallas told Reuters in an interview.

“If we see that the developments are going in the wrong direction, then we are also willing to put them back,” she added.

Six EU member states called this month for the bloc to temporarily suspend sanctions on Syria in areas such as transport, energy and banking.

Current EU sanctions include a ban on Syrian oil imports and a freeze on any Syrian central bank assets in Europe.