[10/06/2026 02:59]

RIYADH-SABA
His Excellency President Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, met on Wednesday with Head of the European Union Mission to Yemen Patrick Simonnet to discuss bilateral cooperation and prospects for expanding the partnership between Yemen and the European Union, particularly in support of government reforms, development financing, humanitarian assistance, and institution-building.

During the meeting, Ambassador Simonnet briefed the President on European Union programs in a number of liberated governorates and the outcomes of his recent visits to Aden and Taiz, including proposed interventions in the water, energy, and livelihoods sectors.

President al-Alimi expressed appreciation for the European Union’s continued political, economic, humanitarian, and development support for Yemen, praising the important role played by the EU mission in assisting the country during a critical period.

The meeting also addressed recent regional developments and the threats posed by Iran-backed proxies to international maritime routes and waterways. President al-Alimi stressed that any political solution must tackle the root causes of these threats, foremost among them the disarmament of militias operating outside state authority.

He emphasized that a sustainable peace cannot be achieved through a ceasefire alone, but requires the strengthening of state institutions capable of exercising full sovereignty and maintaining an exclusive monopoly over the use of force throughout the country.

President al-Alimi called on European Union member states to join international efforts aimed at designating the Houthi group, its leadership, and affiliated financial and logistical networks, while expanding sanctions against arms-smuggling, financing, and money-laundering operations.

He warned that the longer the international community delays addressing the source of the threat, the greater the cost of safeguarding global maritime navigation, stressing that security in the Red Sea begins on land and that strengthening Yemen’s coastal security capabilities is an investment in both European and international security

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