Sana'a, 02/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The ninth meeting of the Joint EU-Yemen Co-operation committee took place this Thursday in Sana'a, two months after the visit of President Saleh who, in February, met in Brussels President Prodi and the Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten. The Joint Committee discussed in particular the progress of reforms and the preparation of the poverty reduction strategy in Yemen, as well as the possibilities for closer co-operation between the Yemen and the Mediterranean countries. During the meeting, methods of contributing to the development of the private sector in Yemen, the implementation of rehabilitation projects and projects for the promotion of human rights, as well as the preparations for the countries accession to the WTO were discussed.
EU aid to Yemen totalled over EUR 100 million over the last five years; for this year, a total of EUR 50 million is earmarked, notably to contribute to the improvement of civil aviation, the monitoring of fishing, for Aden water supply and sanitation renovation, for irrigation rehabilitation and food safety. Furthermore, ECHO will continue, as it has in the last two years, its emergency aid to Yemen, with EUR 1.5 million. Since 1978 and until the end of 1999, Yemen received a total in Community aid of EUR 186 million.