EU official assures Yemen is top priority

EU official expressed the Union’s concern over the situation in Yemen as well as its support for all the measures that will guarantee a successful organization of the presidential elections on February 21st.

Hugues Mingarelli, Managing Director for the Middle East and Southern Neighborhood at the European External Action Service, said that Yemen had made good steps to implement the Gulf countries initiative assuring that the EU will fully assist Yemen to achieve the peaceful and democratic transition of power and overcome the challenges.
He assured the importance of the Yemeni parties unity, calling on Yemen friends group to hold Yemen Friend’s conference planed to help Yemen as soon as possible to end the crisis’s negative effects and to provide the needed economic and development aid to Yemen.
Mingarelli stressed, in a press conference held on Thursday in Sana’a, that the early elections must be taken care of to make sure of its success.
He also called for communicating with all the Yemeni sides, especially those who did not sign the GCC initiative.
 Mingarelli called for establishing a communication committee to assure the success of the political process in Yemen, with the EU leading this process through the communication committee.
Mingarelli called the Yemeni media to focus on the elections in the coming weeks considering it a step to clear the way towards the next phase of the political process in Yemen that will launch the National Dialogue. He said that media focus on the election was the base for the establishment of a national dialogue and reconciliation program. He added that the presidential election, scheduled to take place in February 22, will be the base of next Yemen democratic parliamentary elections after two years. “The Media needed to be on board, spreading awareness,” Mingarelli said.
The EU official focused on the number of tasks and priorities at hands, particularly in the security sector and the economy.
He stressed the readiness of the EU to support a full program for food security and restore basic services and the participation of other donors and supporters in the assessment of current needs of the Yemeni government, which will lead to a conference of donors.
He said that the EU as one of the most prominent donors will work to encourage the reform of the agencies responsible for law enforcement and the extension of the authority of the state.

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