Brussels, 06/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 5 March, during a telephone conversation with the new president of Yemen, Abd Mansur Rabbuh al-Hadi, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton “condemned unreservedly” the recent attacks in that country attributed to Al-Qaeda. Attacks included an assault on barracks in the south of the country last Sunday during which over 100 Yemenite soldiers were killed, as were at least 25 members of the extremist network.
Ashton reiterated her “firm support” to efforts being made by the president to take forward Yemen's transition. She also said that the EU “will continue to support the aspirations of the Yemeni people for a better and brighter future”. She pointed out “the EU's call on all those with a stake in Yemen's political process to engage in good faith in the upcoming national dialogue, and in the debate on constitutional reform”.
President al-Hadi, for his part, acknowledged the “enormous challenge” to be taken up - that of building an inclusive, democratic, safe and civilian state. He reaffirmed that this will be founded on an inclusive national dialogue, which should open the way to sustainable reconciliation, supported by political and economic reform, Ashton said. (CG/transl.jl)