President Al-Alimi Launches National Vision to Strengthen Partnership and Restore State Institutions

  Aden

President Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, President of the Presidential Leadership Council, delivered an important address to the Yemeni people on the occasion of the 36th National Day of the Republic of Yemen, May 22. He extended congratulations on his behalf and on behalf of his fellow members of the Presidential Leadership Council and the government on this glorious national occasion.

In his speech, the President called on all Yemenis to make this anniversary a new turning point for restoring trust, renewing commitment, unifying efforts, and opening a new chapter founded on justice, partnership, a fair state, peace, and development.

President Al-Alimi said: “On this national occasion, the anniversary of May 22, I do not speak to you in the language of conventional celebration, nor with the rhetoric of political triumph. Rather, I speak with a sense of responsibility before a great people exhausted by wars, injustices, long years of suffering, division, and institutional collapse.”

He added that “Yemen today stands at a critical moment in its modern history — a moment that requires from all of us the courage to speak the truth rather than evade it. It requires the courage of fairness rather than denial, and the courage to build the future instead of remaining captive to the wounds and conflicts of the past.”

The President affirmed that Yemeni unity had represented for successive generations of Yemenis a great dream and a noble national and humanitarian project. Jointly carried by the people of the South and the North as a path toward a state of institutions, justice, partnership, and equal citizenship.

He continued: “However, the truth that must not be denied is that this project was later subjected to serious deviations that produced deep grievances. These grievances began with exclusion and marginalization and extending to the undermining of the national partnership upon which unity was originally founded.”

President Al-Alimi reiterated that achieving justice for the Southern Issue, redressing grievances, and addressing the consequences of the past would remain an unwavering commitment with no retreat.

He also stressed the importance of guaranteeing a fair partnership in power and wealth, and enabling all Yemenis, under normal conditions, to freely express their aspirations and determine their political, economic, and cultural future.

He stressed that the Southern Issue constitutes the core of any just settlement and one of the key foundations for building lasting peace and a stable state.

The President also addressed the dangerous political and security developments witnessed in the southern and eastern governorates, which nearly threatened the legal standing of the state and undermined the foundations of national and regional security.

He noted that, through firmness and wisdom, and with sincere support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Yemen was spared the path of discord and fragmentation.

He added that these efforts helped preserve national unity and maintain the cohesion of the internal front in confronting the Houthi coup militias backed by the Iranian regime and allied with terrorist organizations.

President Al-Alimi reaffirmed that resolving the Southern Issue within the framework of the state represents a fundamental pillar of national cohesion and a prerequisite for resilience, completing the battle for liberation, and achieving comprehensive and lasting peace.

He urged all parties to move forward in engaging with the new realities and the opportunities and challenges they present. He stressed that there can be no victors in civil conflicts and no winners in disputes among partners who share the same cause and destiny.

In this context, the President directed the relevant authorities, each within its respective jurisdiction, to take the necessary legal measures to review and revoke arrest warrants and prosecutions linked to the recent events in some southern governorates.

The measures concern political and civil figures whose involvement in terrorist crimes, acts of violence, corruption, grave violations, or actions undermining state security and its legal standing has not been proven.

He said the Republic of Yemen must remain a homeland that embraces all its citizens and an open door for all those who return to the path of the state and the rule of law.

The President also renewed his call for the prompt return of all weapons, ammunition, and military equipment seized during the recent events and their handover to the competent state institutions. He considered this a necessary step toward enhancing security and stability and reinforcing the state’s exclusive authority over arms in accordance with the constitution and the law.

President Al-Alimi further outlined the vision of the Presidential Leadership Council and the government for the coming period, aimed at building a model that fulfills the aspirations of the Yemeni people. Key priorities include continuing sincere efforts to restore state institutions, consolidate the republican system across all Yemeni territory, end the coup by all available means, focus on institution-building in the liberated governorates, continue economic reform programs, and maintain a steadfast commitment to a just solution to the Southern Issue. The solution is based on peaceful dialogue and its representation in any future political settlement process.

The President also stressed the priority of strengthening relations with Saudi Arabia and elevating them from a close alliance to a comprehensive strategic partnership, while pursuing Yemen’s gradual integration into the Gulf system.

He emphasized the importance of unifying the security and military decision-making process, and intensifying efforts to combat terrorism, smuggling, and organized crime, while drying up their sources and financing.

He also stressed the need to strengthen the role of local authorities by granting them full powers in coordination and integration with the central government and senior state institutions.

President Al-Alimi praised the recent government reforms as part of the reconstruction process and efforts to promote self-reliance while taking into account the interests of low-income citizens and mobilizing sufficient resources for the state budget to meet payroll obligations, wages, and essential services.

He also referred to the leadership’s orientation toward achieving government excellence in vital sectors, raising security preparedness, accelerating military integration, and building defense capabilities.

He stressed the importance of ensuring that the interim capital, Aden, and the liberated governorates become the starting point for reconstruction efforts and a model for recovery.

He added that these efforts are aimed at confronting terrorism and sabotage seeking to obstruct the national project and undermine security and stability.

The President renewed his commendation of the recent agreement securing the release of 1,750 detainees, abductees, and forcibly disappeared persons. He affirmed the government’s full commitment to continuing efforts to secure the release of all detainees, abductees, and forcibly disappeared persons held in Houthi militia prisons and to close this humanitarian file comprehensively.