Prospects of a full-fledged EC delegation in Yemen [Archives:2003/675/Local News]

Sanaa, Oct 8 – The European Union will probably be launching a full-fledged EC delegation in Yemen soon, according to Mr. Rainer Schierhorst, Head of Office European Commission Technical Advisory Office in Yemen.
This announcement coincided with the 11th EU-Yemen Joint Co-operation Committee Meeting as an official EU delegation visit was paid to Yemen and headed by Mr. Patrick Laurent, the Chief of the Barcelona Process and Gulf countries, Iran, Iraq and Yemen Unit, DG External relations of the EC.
The delegation, which paid a 3-day visit to the country last week, also met with Prime Minister Abdulqader Bajammal and discussed prospects of a political representative of the EU in Yemen in fields of cooperation between the EU and Yemen.
Discussions also focused on existing cooperation in economic, social and cultural fields in addition to strengthening the development relations and affairs pertaining to following up the projects jointly funded with EU.
The visit signals growing cooperation and enhanced relations between Yemen and EU, which supports Yemen through several assistant projects in many fields. Today, the EU is the largest donor to Yemen with hundreds of millions of Euros given to Yemen as developmental assistance. On the other hand, the EU itself is growing rapidly as 10 more countries are expected to join this major world player in 2004.
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