More EU business on the way [Archives:2002/19/Business & Economy]

BY YEMEN TIMES STAFF
A new season of economic co-operation with Europe is on Yemens horizon thanks to the recent signing of a memorandum on the National Development Assistance Program.
Signed April 30, the agreement for 2002 to 2002 will see trade and other areas of interest increase with the EU.
I very much appreciate our close cooperation with the Ministry and the EU Member States here in Sanaa, in drawing up this program, emphasized Rainer Schierhorst, head of the EC office in Sanaa, during the ceremony.
It will bring an estimated 70 million Euros to Yemen.
I am confident that its implementation will make a significant contribution to socio-economic development process in Yemen and to meeting the challenges entailed therein. he added.
The National Development Assistance Program 2002-2004 has been prepared after consultations with the Yemeni government and the EU.
It takes forward the main objectives indicated in the EU-Yemen co-operation agreement entered in 1998, and prior to that in 1992 for financial and economic co-operation with developing countries in Asia and Latin America.
The areas of co-operation in the program are the following:
Trade co-operation, with a view to diversifying two-way EU-Yemen trade and improving market access for imported and exported goods based on most favored nation status.
Development co-operation, with a focus on reducing poverty and population growth in order to establish a favorable framework for sustainable socio-economic development.
Economic co-operation for development of a competitive and sustainable economic environment in Yemen by supporting wide-ranging measures to facilitate business and industrial manufacturing.
Co-operation in other areas such as environment, culture, science, and social and human resource development.
The National assistance program also focuses on the following priorities:
Development of economic institutions by supporting the process of Yemens accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and private sector development to boost private sector investment.
Food security measures in continuation of the EC support in this area since 1996, focusing on several development programs, food supply infrastructure, institutional capacity building and technical assistance.
Poverty reduction by supporting the Social Fund and improvement of basic health services and further development of family planning.
Strengthening of pluralism and civil society to contribute to the promotion of democracy and human rights.
The ceremony was attended by HE Ahmed Sofan, Minister of Planning and Development, and HE James Moran, Head of the EC Delegation in Amman. The signing ceremony of the memorandum, which will be in use during 2002-2004, took place at the Ministry of Planning and Development, and was attended by senior officials of the Ministry and the European Commission, including Mr Abdulrahman Tarmoum, Vice-Minister of Planning and Development.
This is the last agreement signed by James who will be returning to Brussells after completing his mission as the Head of the European Delegation in Amman. The European delegation in Amman has been very active under the administration of James, who helped bring more focus on the Republic of Yemen by providing hundreds of millions of Euros in assistance in various fields.

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