President Al-Zubaidi holds talks with high-ranking delegation from the European Union

The President of the Southern Transitional Council, President Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi, received, in his office in the capital, Aden, today, Wednesday, a high-ranking delegation from the European Union countries, who arrived in Aden yesterday evening on an official visit.

 In the meeting, President Al-Zubaidi welcomed the visiting European delegation headed by Ms. Marion Lallis, Acting Head of the European Union Mission in Yemen, with members of the delegation, French Ambassador to Yemen Jean-Marie Safa, German Ambassador Hubert Jaeger, Dutch Ambassador Peter Derek Hof, and Swedish Envoy Peter Smenby, expressing his thanks and gratitude for the efforts of the mission in support to bring peace and to end the war in the country.

President Al-Zubaidi noted that the visit of the European Union delegation to the capital, Aden, represents a push for peace efforts to end the war, and in support of the Riyadh Agreement sponsored by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In his talks with the visiting delegation, President Al-Zubaidi stressed the importance of accelerating the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, reiterating the readiness of the leadership of the Transitional Council to return to the negotiating table to complete the remaining provisions of the agreement, foremost of which is the withdrawal of forces loyal to the Muslim Brotherhood from Abyan, Shabwa, and Wadi Hadramout, and the restructuring of the two ministries of Defense and Interior.

President Al-Zubaidi reiterated the Council's position in support of the efforts of the UN envoy to reach a comprehensive peace process that ends the war in Yemen, and the importance of formulating a comprehensive peace process in which the Southern Transitional Council will be a major party from the beginning as representative of the people in the South.

President Al-Zubaidi also reiterated the Council’s supportive position for the power-sharing government, and the importance of the return of all ministers, to exercise their duties from the capital, Aden, which would enable the government to carry out its duties in normalizing the situation and providing services, calling on the ambassadors of the European Union to support the government of power-sharing in its efforts to revive the deteriorating economic situation.

In the meeting, President Al-Zubaidi stressed the role of the Transitional Council and its security forces as an international partner in combating terrorism and protecting international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

For her part, Ms. Marion Lallis expressed her deep thanks and gratitude to the presidency of the Southern Transitional Council for the warm reception and hospitality, praising the position of the Transitional Council in supporting the efforts of the UN envoy to bring peace, and to end the war and to restore stability to the region.

The European Union ambassadors praised the position of the Presidency of the Transitional Council that supports completing the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, and supports the government to carry out its tasks from the capital, Aden.

The delegation condemned the terrorist operation that targeted the Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Southern Transitional Council, the governor of the capital, Aden, Mr. Ahmed Hamed Lamlas, and the Deputy Secretary-General, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Major General Salem Abdullah Al-Socotri, during the past days, stressing that the European Union mission stands by the governor of Aden in his efforts to restore stability to the city, and offering condolences to the families of the victims.

The meeting was attended by Major General Ahmed Saeed Bin Brik, Chairman of the National Assembly, and Dr. Nasser Al-Khobaji, Head of the Negotiations Affairs Unit in the Council, in addition a number of members of the Presidency.