Minister of Planning discusses ways to strengthen development and economic partnership with EU Ambassador

[31/03/2026 05:24]
Aden - Saba

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr Afrah Al-Zuba, met today in the temporary capital, Aden, with the European Union Ambassador to Yemen, Patrick Simonet, to discuss areas of joint cooperation and ways to strengthen the development and economic partnership between the two sides.

At the start of the meeting, Minister Al-Zuba welcomed the European Ambassador, praising the European Union’s continued support for Yemen across various sectors, particularly in the areas of development, capacity building and support for government institutions. She emphasised the government’s commitment to strengthening coordination with international partners to help achieve economic stability and improve the standard of basic services for citizens.

Minister Al-Zuba outlined the government’s priorities within its general programme, which is centred on a number of key areas, most notably strengthening economic stability, implementing institutional reforms, improving services, and activating partnerships with the private sector, alongside developing international and diplomatic cooperation.

She also touched upon the current challenges facing the government, particularly in light of the economic and humanitarian situation, emphasising the importance of support from partners, foremost among them the European Union, for the implementation of priority reform programmes and development projects.

For his part, the EU Ambassador reaffirmed the Union’s commitment to continuing its support for Yemen, He noted the importance of strengthening the partnership with the government in the areas of economic reform, service improvement and support for stability, and expressed the Union’s readiness to expand areas of cooperation in line with the Yemeni government’s priorities.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides emphasised the importance of continuing coordination and joint consultation, thereby contributing to supporting development efforts and enhancing stability in Yemen.