UAE hails inter-Yemeni agreement concerning banks and airlines

The UAE is hailing a recent announcement of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on reaching a landmark inter-Yemeni agreement concerning the banking sector and airlines.

In a statement, the Emirati Foreign Ministry regarded the deal as a positive step in the direction of finding a political solution in Yemen in order to achieve the aspirations of its brotherly people for security, development and stability.

The Ministry also commended the efforts of the United Nations and Grundberg to reach a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the raging crisis in Yemen. The deal is expected to enhance peace and stability in the country and the broader region.

UAE supports all efforts to bring stability to Yemen

The UAE Foreign Ministry also reaffirmed the Gulf state’s support for all regional and international efforts to bring stability to Yemen, and commitment to stand by the people of the country and respect their legitimate aspirations for prosperity and development.

The Houthis took control of Sanaa in 2014 and the government in Yemen subsequently called on Saudi Arabia and its allies to form a joint coalition to address the crisis. The UN believes more than half of the nation’s population requires humanitarian assistance.

Fighting in Yemen has largely subsided since the early months of 2022 through a UN-brokered ceasefire. But several significant issues remain, preventing a comprehensive agreement from being signed by both parties.

Return of Swift banking services, resumption of flights

Sanaa and Amman in Jordan are set to see resumption of flights on Thursday after they had been suspended in September, as part of the recent agreement announced by Hans Grundberg. Daily flights to Egypt and India are also expected to begin soon.

Earlier this month, the government-controlled Central Bank of Yemen cancelled the licences of several banks for not relocating to Aden from the Houthi-controlled Sanaa, cutting them off from the international banking system.

But under the deal signed on Tuesday, the UN Special Envoy said both sides agreed to cancel “all recent decisions and procedures against banks by both sides and refrain in the future from any similar decisions or procedures,” reported The National.

The return of Swift banking services to all parts of Yemen is significant for the economy. Yemeni banks can process cross-border transactions more efficiently, stabilising the currency and reducing economic disparities. Swift provides better access to global markets.Read More: UAE-supported solar energy station in Yemen to remove people’s suffering