عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Yemeni Govt Announces New Ministerial Program, Pending Parliamentary Approval

Yemeni government meets in Aden, Yemen (Photo credit: Office of the Yemeni prime minister)
Yemeni government meets in Aden, Yemen (Photo credit: Office of the Yemeni prime minister)
TT
TT

Yemeni Govt Announces New Ministerial Program, Pending Parliamentary Approval

Yemeni government meets in Aden, Yemen (Photo credit: Office of the Yemeni prime minister)
Yemeni government meets in Aden, Yemen (Photo credit: Office of the Yemeni prime minister)

The internationally recognized government in Yemen has successfully declared its ministerial program draft on Monday, preparing it for referral to parliament for approval.

According to official sources, the draft encompasses sections that cover security and defense, fiscal and monetary policies, economy and investment, infrastructure, energy and environment, general administration and good governance, human development, foreign relations, planning and information.

The draft is based on accurate analysis of outstanding challenges and most urgent needs, as well as policies and interventions necessary to cope with all challenges, reorganize and unite the military and security institutions in the face of Houthis, and mobilize resources from donors.

It is worth noting that the cabinet had assigned a ministerial committee, headed by Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, to prepare a draft ministerial program for the newly formed power-sharing government.

On December 18, Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi announced a new government as part of his efforts to implement the political annex of the Riyadh Agreement which was signed by the government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

“The new program reflects the government's commitment and determination to start new course of work aimed at restoring the state, ending the Houthi coup and achieving economic stability and recovery,” said Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik at press conference in Aden after the cabinet holding an extraordinary meeting.

“The real criterion of this draft will be the assessment of progress based on achievement and implementation, requiring the government members to work according to different rational mechanisms to effectively tackle the challenges,” he told reporters.

Abdulmalik stressed that “every ministry should assume its full responsibility in implementing the obligations and undertakings stipulated in the government's ministerial program draft.”

The premier emphasized that the government’s vision is focused on recovery, stopping currency devaluation and economic decline and building state institutions. Restoring law and order and upholding principles of accountability are also part of the government’s new scheme.

Abdulmalik called on Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates to provide his government with urgent support.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

US-Iraq Deal Would See Hundreds of Troops Withdraw in First Year, Sources Say

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Iraq Defense Minister Mohammad Al-Abbasi at the Pentagon in Washington, US, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Iraq Defense Minister Mohammad Al-Abbasi at the Pentagon in Washington, US, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)
TT
TT

US-Iraq Deal Would See Hundreds of Troops Withdraw in First Year, Sources Say

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Iraq Defense Minister Mohammad Al-Abbasi at the Pentagon in Washington, US, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Iraq Defense Minister Mohammad Al-Abbasi at the Pentagon in Washington, US, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)

The United States and Iraq have reached an understanding on plans for the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq, multiple sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The plan, which has been broadly agreed but requires a final go-ahead from both capitals and an announcement date, would see hundreds of troops leave by September 2025, with the remainder departing by the end of 2026, the sources said.

"We have an agreement, it's now just a question of when to announce it," a senior US official said.

The US and Iraq are also seeking to establish a new advisory relationship that could see some US troops remain in Iraq after the drawdown.

An official announcement was initially scheduled for weeks ago but was postponed due to regional escalation related to Israel's war in Gaza and to iron out some remaining details, the sources said.

The sources include five US officials, two officials from other coalition nations, and three Iraqi officials, all speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Several sources said the deal could be announced this month.

Farhad Alaaldin, foreign affairs adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, said technical talks with Washington on the coalition drawdown had concluded.

"We are now on the brink of transitioning the relationship between Iraq and members of the international coalition to a new level, focusing on bilateral relations in military, security, economic, and cultural areas," he said.

He did not comment on details of the plan and the US-led coalition did not respond to emailed questions.

The agreement follows more than six months of talks between Baghdad and Washington, initiated by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in January amid attacks by Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups on US forces stationed at Iraqi bases.

The rocket and drone attacks have killed three American troops and wounded dozens more, resulting in several rounds of deadly US retaliation that threatened government efforts to stabilize Iraq after decades of conflict.

The US has approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in neighboring Syria as part of the coalition formed in 2014 to combat ISIS as it rampaged through the two countries.

The extremist group once held roughly a third of Iraq and Syria but was territorially defeated in Iraq at the end of 2017 and in Syria in 2019. Iraq had demonstrated its ability to handle any remaining threat, Alaaldin said.

The US initially invaded Iraq in 2003, toppling ruler Saddam Hussein before withdrawing in 2011, but returned in 2014 at the head of the coalition to fight ISIS.

Other nations, including Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, also contribute hundreds of troops to the coalition.

Under the plan, all coalition forces would leave the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Anbar province and significantly reduce their presence in Baghdad by September 2025.

US and other coalition troops are expected to remain in Erbil, in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdistan region, for approximately one additional year, until around the end of 2026, to facilitate ongoing operations against ISIS in Syria.

Exact details of troop movements are being kept secret due to their military sensitivity.

The drawdown would mark a notable shift in Washington's military posture in the region.

While primarily focused on countering ISIS, US officials acknowledge their presence also serves as a strategic position against Iranian influence.

This position has grown more important as Israel and Iran escalate their regional confrontation, with US forces in Iraq shooting down rockets and drones fired towards Israel in recent months, according to US officials.

Prime Minister al-Sudani has stated that, while he appreciates their help, US troops have become a magnet for instability, frequently targeted and responding with strikes often not coordinated with the Iraqi government.

The agreement, when announced, would likely present a political win for al-Sudani as he balances Iraq's position as an ally of both Washington and Tehran. The first phase of the drawdown would end one month before Iraqi parliamentary polls set for October 2025.

For the US, the two-year time frame provides "breathing room," allowing for potential adjustments if the regional situation changes, a US official said.

The State Department and US Embassy in Baghdad did not respond to requests for comment.