In the context of his official visit to Yemen, the Executive Secretary, Mr. Bader Omar AlDafa visited His Excellency the President of the Yemen Republic, Ali Abdallah Saleh on Saturday 8 March in his residence of Hodeida. In addition to the accompanying UN-ESCWA delegation, His Excellency the Prime Minister, Dr. Ali Muhammad Mujawwar, as well as Hodeida Governor, Mr. Ahmad Abdallah Al Hujari and Mr. Fayssal Amin Abu Ras, the Yemeni Ambassador to Lebanon, attended the meeting. AlDafa had headed to Yemen on 7 March, in a preparatory visit ahead of the UN-ESCWA 25th Ministerial Session, scheduled to be held in Sana’a late May.
Talks between both parties revolved around Yemen’s pressing needs in the fields of water and power generation through solar energy in a number of Yemeni villages, in addition to electricity linkages between Yemen and neighboring countries, professional and technical trainings, the fight against poverty and unemployment, and what UN-ESCWA can offer as studies, advisory services, trainings and field projects in this sense.
AlDafa also visited, on Sunday 9 March, the Prime Minister, Dr. Ali Muhammad Mujawwar. The two parties discussed challenges facing the Republic of Yemen and the immediate steps that UN-ESCWA will take to face these challenges.
AlDafa and the accompanying delegation had visited the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, where they convened with the Under-Secretary, Mr. Hisham Sharaf Abdallah in the presence of concerned officials in the Ministry as well as Ambassador Abu Ras. They also visited the Geological Survey and Mineral Resources Board, and were informed by its Director, Dr. Nasser Al Jund, of the Board’s work, divisions and projects.
