[03/05/2026 05:30]

ADEN-SABA
Officials from Yemen’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries met on Sunday in the interim capital Aden with Program Officer at the European Union Mission to Yemen, Shohra Naqshbandi, and Senior Advisor at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Alemo Mani, to discuss ways to strengthen joint cooperation and improve food security and livelihoods.

The meeting, which included deputy ministers, directors-general, and technical specialists, reviewed the ministry’s efforts to enhance agricultural and fisheries cooperative work, reaffirming its commitment to building effective partnerships with international donors, particularly the European Union, as one of Yemen’s largest development partners.

Ministry officials commended the EU’s role in supporting development projects, especially amid ongoing challenges facing the agricultural and fisheries sectors, stressing the need to expand technical support in institutional capacity-building, strengthen administrative and technical capabilities across affiliated entities, and advance the development of both sectors.

They also emphasized the importance of training technical personnel across various specializations, improving statistical systems, and conducting accurate studies of fish stocks to support informed decision-making, while highlighting ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperative agricultural and fisheries activities.

For her part, Naqshbandi affirmed the EU’s readiness to continue supporting efforts aimed at developing productive sectors and advancing sustainable development programs and projects, noting that the EU focuses on three main priorities: supporting peace and security, promoting economic development, and enabling economic recovery for communities.

She added that while previous EU interventions largely focused on humanitarian assistance, the Union is now gradually shifting toward supporting sustainable development projects, particularly in agriculture, water, and job creation.

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