Al-Zubaidi Calls for Support for Yemeni Government to Resume Oil Exports and Implement Urgent Reforms
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Aidarous al-Zubaidi, member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and head of the Southern Transitional Council(STC), reiterated his call for support for the internationally recognized Yemeni government to implement urgent economic reforms and resume oil exports amidst the challenges facing the country.
This came during a video meeting held by Al-Zubaidi on Tuesday with the Acting U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, Jonathan Bichy. The two sides discussed the latest political and economic developments in Yemen and the repercussions of regional tensions on de-escalation efforts and peace opportunities.
According to the official Yemeni News Agency, the meeting addressed the deteriorating humanitarian situation, particularly in the interim capital Aden and governorates under legitimate government control. These areas are suffering from escalating living and service crises, most notably the electricity crisis and the continuous depreciation of the local currency.
Al-Zubaidi stressed the necessity for the international community to provide the required support to the Yemeni government and the Presidential Leadership Council to overcome these crises and restore the ability to export oil, which has been halted since October 2022 following Houthi targeting of export terminals.
The Houthis demand the resumption of oil exports in exchange for paying state employee salaries in their areas of control from oil sales revenues, a condition the Yemeni government has so far rejected.
For his part, the American diplomat reaffirmed his country’s support for peace and stability efforts in Yemen, emphasizing the importance of coordination with various political parties to support economic reforms and alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
Both parties agreed on the importance of continued consultation and coordination between the Yemeni government on one hand, and the U.S. administration and the international community on the other. This aims to support peace and development efforts and achieve the aspirations of Yemenis for a more stable and secure future.
