EU mission arrives in Aden to help progress peace efforts and end the war

On Tuesday evening, the head of the Southern Transitional Council, Aidarus Al-Zubaidi, met with the European Union delegation, that arrived in the temporary capital of Aden, southern Yemen, in an official visit. According to Al-Zubaidi, the visit of the EU delegation to Aden signals a push for peace efforts and an end to the war, as well as a support of the Riyadh Agreement under the auspices of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During the meeting, Al-Zubaidi emphasized the importance of expediting the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, stressing the readiness of the Transitional Council’s leadership to return to the negotiating table to complete the remaining terms of the agreement, foremost of which is the removal of pro-government forces from Abyan, Shabwa, and Wadi Hadramout, as well as the restructuring of the Ministries of Defense and Interior. The President of the Transitional Council restated the Council’s support for the European Union delegation’s effort to reach a comprehensive peace process that ends the war in Yemen, in which the Southern Transitional Council will be a prominent party, from the start, representing the people in the south. Al-Zubaidi highlighted the stability of the council’s position in support of the power-sharing government, stressing the significance of all government ministers returning to exercise their duties from the capital, Aden, to carry out their duties in normalizing the situation and delivering services. The Deputy Head of Mission, Marion Lalisse, denounced the terrorist attack on the Governor of Aden, Ahmed Hamed Lamles, and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, a few days ago, noting that the European Union mission supports the governor of Aden in his efforts to restore stability to the city. In addition to Lalisse, the European delegation, that met with Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdul-Malik in Aden, on Tuesday, includes the French Ambassador to Yemen Jean-Marie Safa, the German Ambassador Hubert Jager, the Dutch Ambassador Peter Derrek Hof, and the Swedish envoy Peter Semneby. During the meeting, the five ambassadors pledged to work to provide the necessary support to the government, which represents “national unity”, stressing the need for its survival and presence in Aden.