European Commission Raises Aid to 51 Mill Euros or 5 Million
Almotamar.net - Yemeni Deputy Premier , the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdulkarim Ismael al-Arhabi said the national agenda for reforms is purely Yemeni and not imposed by anyone because the country needs reforms. Minister al-Arhabi said during the past two years Yemen has achieved many of reforms especially in the area of judicial authority that was separated from both the executive and legislative powers and chairman of the Supreme Court became chairman of the Judiciary Higher Council.
At he joint press conference after signing on an agreement between Yemen and the European Commission on support of the electoral process in Yemen the Minister considered his country’s accession to Transparency Strategy in Extractive Industries as an indicator to its strongly direction towards the good governance. According to that strategy there would be a third party to be sure of production and quantities and selling price and to be sure of putting its returns at the treasury of the state and the central bank would publish figures of the amounts of money entering the treasury. He has also expressed his hope in finding a real partnership between the government and the civil society organisations.
The Minister highly evaluated the European Union support for Yemen in the past two years and its raising the support this year to euro 51 million after it was 27 million. Regarding political reforms al-Arhabi said Yemen travelled log distance in the area of democracy and there are recommendations for the development of the elections law which is a golden opportunity that must be seized for development of democracy.
On his part the representative of the European Commission said they encourage Yemen government in reforming the elections law for the sake of realizing better representation of the woman and the neutral use of the state revenues and increase in electoral participation. The European Commission official called on all political parties concerned to participate in the success of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Yemen and the European Commission have on Tuesday signed an agreement on the of Programme of Electoral Support an development of parliament capacities in implementation of recommendations of the observation team of the European Union in the presidential elections of 2006. The recommendations stressed on revising the legal framework of elections, independence of the state institutions and revenues and the necessity of increasing proportion of the woman participation.
SANA’A, June 10 (Saba)- Yemen and the European Commission signed on Tuesday an agreement of supporting an electoral system and developing the Parliament’s capacities at the cost of €5.3 million for 2008-2010.
The agreement was signed by Planning and International Cooperation Minister Abdul-Karim al-Arhabi and director of the EC for the Middle East and
Southern Mediterranean affairs Tomas Dupla Del Moral.The EC’s grant aims to strengthen the programs of the Supreme Commission for Election and Referendum, improve the Parliament’s duties.
The grant will help achieve the European Union’s recommendations on the presidential elections which held in September 2006 as well as boosting the political participation of Yemeni women as candidates and voters.
SANA’A, June 10 (Saba)- Prime minister Ali Mujawar expressed his government’s appreciation the European Union’s support for the development process in Yemen, topped by its latest decision to increase its aids for Yemen from €17 million to €51 million per year.
During his meeting on Tuesday with a delegation of the European Commission headed by director of the EC for the Middle East and Southern Mediterranean affairs Tomas Dupla Del Moral, Mujawar affirmed that the decision would boost the developmental cooperation relations between Yemen and the EU.
Mujawar and the EC delegation discussed the aspects of enhancing the Yemeni, European cooperation in fields of diplomacy, economy and development to
serve the common interests.
Moral hailed the affirmative results of the government’s administrative reforms, confirming the EU’s support for the Yemen’s accession into the Gulf Cooperation Council and also its readiness to provide all technical support.
Mujawar reviewed economic, judicial and administrative reforms in the framework of his government’s reforms agenda such the formation an independent anti-corruption authority.
