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Bahrain calls for regional action to relieve Yemen

RIYADH, April 5 (KUNA) -- A Bahraini official on Wednesday called for regional action to restore economic development to Yemen.
Shawqi Al-Sabbagh, head of the department for GCC relations, in a statement opening the 18th meeting of the GCC committee for determining development needs in Yemen, said, "We are seeking through this meeting to coordinate among the Gulf Cooperation Council States and Yemen to exert efforts for restoring economic and financial development to Yemen." Noting that the GCC states have been exerting continuous efforts to back up Yemen at the financial and humanitarian levels, Al-Sabbagh noted that GCC troops have sacrificed their lives for Yemen.
For his part, Dr. Mohammad Al-Saadi, Yemen's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, expressed hope that the meeting would pave the way for resolving problems in his country affirming that the Saudi-commanded "Restoration of Hope" military operation has "cast away perils threatening Yemen and the Yemenis."

Al-Saadi said "we are ready to develop our potentials in cooperation with our brothers in the Gulf." "We had planned to make changes in Yemen with peaceful means and national dialogue however developments happened leading to an unexpected military strife," Al-Saadi added.
The Yemeni people are suffering from the ongoing war and halt of financial income since two years ago. Many GCC-funded projects have been halted amid wide-scale displacement of civilians.
For his part, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Uwaisheq, the GCC assistant secretary general for political affairs, affirmed the GCC commitment to help the legitimate Temeni government in its efforts to restore security and stability to the country, rehabilitate the economy and integrate it into the GCC economy.
A large number of GCC-funded ventures in Yemen have been halted or delayed due to the coup.
The meeting is partly aimed at speeding up execution of pending development projects, allotments of which had been set at USD 15 billion during conferences for aiding the nation -- 70 percent of which pledged by the GCC countries.
He called for rapid examination of urgent development projects related to securing power, water, hospitals, schools and universities for the nation. (end) mdm.rk