European Union delegation of the European commission to the Republic of Yemen [Archives:2004/743/Local News]

Press Communique
The European Union and the Republic of Yemen have concluded a first Cooperation Agreement in 1984 and established diplomatic relations. Following the reunification of the country in 1990 a new Cooperation Agreement was negotiated and entered into force in 1995.
On 18 December 2003 an agreement establishing a Delegation of the European Commission in the Capital Sana'a was signed by Chris Patten, Commissioner for External relations, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen in Brussels. This agreement marks a further milestone in the mutual relationship between Yemen and the European Union (EU). The diplomatic mission in place since 1 January 2004 replaces the Technical Assistance Office the European Commission maintained since 1995 and through which the EU has channeled its important development cooperation assistance. The EU, without taking into account the significant aid provided by individual member states of the Union, has made available the amount of 225 million Euros over the last 15 years and will continue to do so. As agreed during the last joint cooperation committee held in October 2003, the Union will again available some 30 mill Euros yearly in 2005 and 2006.
Recently the Commission has appointed Dr. Ralf Dreyer as Charge d' Affaires to the Delegation Dr. Dreyer has served the last six years in Prague as Deputy Head of Mission and Charge d' Affaires during the last year before accession of the Czech Republic to the Union. He had been posted before to Cairo, Luxembourg and Brussels, where among other tasks, he dealt in particular with the GCC and its Member States, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia, the Euro-Arab Dialogue and the two Yemens at the time. Dr. Dreyer worked also for the German Government in Sana'a in 1976 and 1977. He wrote his doctoral thesis about the constitutional law of the Arabic countries with a particular emphasis on the Yemen Arab Republic.
Upon his arrival Dr. Dreyer said “I am glad to be here again, in a country that has been reunited and has made significant progress to political participation of its citizens and in the field of human rights. Security of its population and the international community is another issue, which has significantly improved thanks to the efforts undertaken by the country. The Sana'a Declaration is the result of an important conference and an important document in the international community and constitutes also the basis for the future relationship with the Union.
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