Berlin, November 7 (V7N)- Yemen's Foreign Minister Afrah al-Juba has called on Germany and its European partners to provide urgent political and economic assistance to the country's internationally recognised government.
She made the appeal during a meeting with Armin Laschet, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Germany's Bundestag, in Berlin.
According to a statement from the Yemeni Foreign Ministry, al-Juba sought German and European cooperation in strengthening Yemen's law enforcement agencies and improving surveillance of its maritime borders.
She said such assistance was necessary to prevent the alleged smuggling of Iranian weapons to Houthi rebels.
During the meeting, the Yemeni foreign minister also criticised the Houthis for maintaining a blockade on the city of Taiz, describing it as a form of "collective punishment" against civilians.
She further warned about what she described as Houthi efforts to establish a new balance of power along Yemen's western coast and around the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Laschet, meanwhile, expressed serious concern over human rights violations in Yemen, particularly the recruitment of children by armed groups.
The Yemeni Foreign Ministry statement said Laschet also warned that attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea were affecting the economic security of European Union countries.
He called for Germany and its European partners to develop a new strategy focused on Yemen to address the growing security challenges.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a vital route for international shipping. Any disruption to security in the waterway could affect global trade and supply chains, including those serving European markets.
END/SMA/AJ
