President Al-Zubaidi Chairs Expanded Meeting with STC's Senior Leadership

President Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and vice chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), chaired on Wednesday an expanded meeting attended by members of the STC’s Presidium, ministers and deputy ministers affiliated with the council in government, heads of central and auxiliary bodies, heads of the National Assembly committees, the Council of Advisors, and departments of the General Secretariat.

At the beginning of the meeting, President Al-Zubaidi delivered a comprehensive briefing on his recent diplomatic engagements abroad, reviewed the outcomes of his meetings with officials, ambassadors, and representatives from brotherly and friendly countries—especially those sponsoring the political process in Yemen—which largely focused on addressing the country’s deteriorating economic and public service conditions and exploring viable solutions to alleviate the suffering of citizens.

In the context of his speech, the president highlighted that the recent protests and public anger in the capital, Aden, are legitimate expressions of real suffering, asserting that the STC is not shirking its responsibilities; rather, it is responding to them with awareness and courage within the framework of its existing partnership in both the PLC and the government.

In political affairs, President Al-Zubaidi reiterated that the political process cannot proceed further with a militia designated as a high-risk terrorist organization for regional and international security and stability, in light of the recent regional developments and the painful blows received by the Iranian regime, its main ally.

Organizationally, the president indicated that the STC is about to take an advanced step to enhance the performance of its leadership and organizational bodies, based on a thorough evaluation of its work over the past two years, by injecting new blood into various leadership positions at both central and local levels, aiming for a qualitative shift in institutional performance and stronger integration and coordination in serving citizens and fulfilling their aspirations.

The President stressed the importance of demonstrating political and ethical conduct that reflects national values and a sense of responsibility, upholding principles of discipline and transparency, and working with a teamwork spirit to build resilient institutions capable of achievement and facing challenges.

President Al-Zubaidi reiterated the STC’s openness to all forces and components of the South and to anyone with a project serving the aspirations of the people of the South—whether through an advanced partnership or coordination frameworks that preserve the hard-won gains of the Southern revolution, honor the ultimate sacrifices of blessed martyrs and the wounded, and drive cohesiveness at this pivotal stage.

To the end of his speech, the president reaffirmed that the partnership of the STC and the Southern Armed Forces with their brothers in the Arab Coalition countries, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, is fundamentally steadfast and unwavering, and firmly pledged that the STC and its armed forces will definitely remain loyal to all the sacrifices that have been made to deter the Houthi threat to our people and the country, and to those who have provided full support in this path.

President Al-Zubaidi concluded the meeting by listening to a number of interventions and inquiries from attendees regarding the latest political and economic developments locally and regionally. Participants also shared remarks and ideas focusing on evaluating the STC’s overall performance over the past period and strategies to improve its institutional effectiveness at all levels and provided the required clarifications regarding them.