President Al-Alimi Affirms State’s Ability to Regain Initiative on Western Coast and Complete Liberation

  Riyadh

President Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, President of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), received today, Thursday, Ambassador of France to Yemen Catherine Corm-Kammoun, on the occasion of the end of her tenure as her country’s ambassador to the Republic of Yemen.

During the meeting, President Al-Alimi expressed his deep appreciation for Ambassador Corm-Kammoun’s diplomatic efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, wishing her success in her future professional duties.

The President also expressed his appreciation for France’s steadfast stance in support of the Yemeni people and their aspirations to end their suffering and restore state institutions. In this context, he commended France’s strong stance against the escalation by the Houthi militias and its call for an end to their arming and financing, stressing that freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and international straits is non-negotiable.

President Al-Alimi affirmed that the state and its armed forces are fully capable of regaining the initiative on the western coast. He stressed that any temporary development on the ground would not alter the Yemeni people’s goal of restoring their national institutions and ending their suffering. He also stressed that this goal includes addressing the threat posed by the Houthi militias to international peace and security.

The President explained that the armed forces continue their operations on multiple fronts, while the Houthi militias are sustaining heavy blows along the fronts of Taiz, Marib, Lahj, Al-Jawf, Hajjah, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhalea, and elsewhere. This comes amid the redeployment of forces and efforts to strengthen their capacity to regain the initiative and prevent any temporary battlefield gain from becoming a fait accompli or a platform for threatening maritime routes.

President Al-Alimi said the course of developments in the country has repeatedly demonstrated the Yemeni state’s ability to turn crises into opportunities. He noted that the militias had previously believed that their seizure of the capital, Sana’a, and most of the country’s cities had become irreversible, before the state regained control of the interim capital, Aden, and more than 70 percent of Yemeni territory.

He added that the current developments represent a new phase in the state’s ongoing efforts to restore its institutions and secure its territory, coasts, and territorial waters. He said these efforts also aim to protect maritime routes from armed threats and cross-border smuggling networks.

President Al-Alimi affirmed that the existence of a strong state is no longer solely a Yemeni interest, but has become a necessity for regional and international security. He stressed the importance of shifting relations between the Yemeni government and its international partners from crisis management to a strategic partnership in security and deterrence. This should include building state capacities, protecting ports and territorial waters, combating terrorism and smuggling, and disrupting the financing and arms-supply networks of rogue groups.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Yahya Al-Shuaibi, Director of the Office of the Presidency of the Republic, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Al-Oqaili, Director of the Office of the Supreme Commander, and Ahmed Al-Saleh, Minister of State.