Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula. MINUTES of the meeting of 21 June 2018, Brussels

Transcription

1 European Parliament Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula DARP_PV (2018)0621_1 MINUTES of the meeting of 21 June 2018, Brussels The meeting opened at on Thursday, 21 June 2018, with Michèle Alliot-Marie (Chair) presiding. 1. Adoption of draft agenda (PE ) The draft agenda was adopted. 2. Approval of minutes of meeting of 29 January 2018 (PE ) The minutes were adopted without any changes. 3. Chair s announcements The meeting started with some introductory remarks by the Chair of DARP on the need to end the war in Yemen and take urgent humanitarian measures meant to curtail the suffering of the Yemeni people. She expressed concern about the very large number of Yemeni victims and about the fact that the conflict continues. War crimes are committed in Yemen by all parties involved in the conflict against the most vulnerable segment of the Yemeni population. The Chair informed those present that DARP has held a considerable number of meetings on the situation in Yemen and it will continue to do so. The meeting was dedicated to an exchange of views with Colonel Turki bin Saleh Al-Malki, Spokesperson for Coalition forces in Yemen, and General Abdullah Dahkyyl M. Alqahtani, Director of Civil Military Operations at the Joint Forces Command, Ministry of Defence, on the current situation of the war in Yemen. The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia, H.E. Saad Mohammad Alarify, expressed gratitude for this PV\ EN.docx PE v01-00 EN United in diversity EN

2 invitation and opportunity to shed light on the current situation in Yemen, in particular on the humanitarian situation resulting from the protracted war. General Abdullah Dakhyyl M. Alquahtani, Director of Civil and Military Operations at the Joint Forces Command, explained that, previously, the Yemeni government had had six wars with the Houthi regime. The General summarised the conflict with the Houthi Militia, who, before 2009, attacked the Saudi borders with support from Iran. In 2014, the Houhti Militia defeated the legitimate Yemeni government of President Hadi. The latter asked for support from the Coalition. Ever since, the Coalition stated its goal: keep the legitimate Yemeni government in power. The Saudi General stressed that the Coalition supports the political solution to the conflict and Martin Griffith initiative. The main part of the meeting was devoted to an exchange of views with Colonel Turki bin Saleh Al-Malki, Spokesperson for coalition forces in Yemen, on the current situation in Yemen. He underlined that their presence at the EP was not meant to change people s view on the current situation in Yemen. He stated that the army is second in line, after the political power. The army takes over when politics ends. Colonel Al Malki reminded that the Arab Spring of 2011 had resulted in failed states in the MENA region. Thus, other regional powers had to take responsibility for this failure, because it affects all the countries in the Middle East. Such is the case of Saudi Arabia, which is a member of the Arab League, of the GCC, of the OIC. Regarding the situation in Yemen, Colonel Al Malki stressed that Saudi Arabia is not trying to find and excuse for its military action. He highlighted that the Coalition is taking responsibility for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. He stressed the need to understand the real reason of the crisis in Yemen: the Houthis wanting to take over the whole country. Since 2015, The Coalition tried to negotiate with the Houthis; the latter refused to come to the negotiating table. Colonel Al Malki described the Houthis as a very dangerous terrorist group, who controls the ballistic missiles and launch them towards the Yemeni people and towards the neighbouring states, including Saudi Arabia. The retaliation of the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led Coalition is based on UNSC resolutions 2216 and Charter 7, art. 51. Colonel Al Malki informed those present that the world is facing a permanent terrorist threat. Until now, Saudi Arabia has been the target of 152 ballistic missile attacks. In conclusion, the guest speaker pointed to the fact that the Yemeni government is controlling a very small part of the country. The objective of the Coalition is to maintain the legitimate Yemeni government in power. He stressed the danger coming from the Iranian regime, who is using the Houthis in its own interest. He also stressed that the Coalition is fighting an ideology and a terrorist / organised crime group (ISIS) in Yemen and drew attention to the fact that the Houthis continue to refuse any invitation to get into negotiations on a peace agreement. Mr Wajid Khan, Member of DARP, expressed a particular concern about the crisis in Yemen, as the world s biggest humanitarian disaster, and about the inability to end the conflict. He insisted on the need of a political solution to the conflict, not a military one. Colonel Al Malki explained that the military option was necessary, because all previous political initiatives had failed. The objective of the military action of the Coalition is to pressure the Houthis to come to the negotiating table. In Colonel Al Malki s words, the Coalition has the tactical patience and the wisdom to give more time to a political solution. EN PE v /8 PV\ EN.docx

3 Mr Mario Borghezio, Member of DARP, brought up the issue of the role and influence of the media in this protracted conflict. He stressed that Europe should take a greater interest in the stability of the region. Mrs Ramona Manescu, DARP Member, also favours the political carrot and stick method in solving the conflict in Yemen. Mrs Manescu recalled that the EU had the necessary instruments that it could use in finding a solution to the current crisis. Mrs Valero, interested Member, also underlined the need to favour the political solution over the military one. The latter, she said, is never the solution to any conflict. Mrs Valero also expressed concern about the humanitarian aid not reaching the people who need it and going astray. It is clear that the key to this is the real intentions and policy of a regional power, which is behind this crisis and others, Iran. Colonel Al Malki reiterated that, given the intensity, the length of the conflict and the unwillingness of the Houthis to negotiate with the Yemeni government, at present, the political solution does not seem possible. 5. Any other business None 6. Date and place of next meeting The next meeting will take place in Brussels 6 September The meeting closed at N PV\ EN.docx 3/8 PE v01-00 E

4 ПРИСЪСТВЕН ЛИСТ/LISTA DE ASISTENCIA/PREZENČNÍ LISTINA/DELTAGERLISTE/ ANWESENHEITSLISTE/KOHALOLIJATE NIMEKIRI/ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΠΑΡΟΝΤΩΝ/RECORD OF ATTENDANCE/ LISTE DE PRÉSENCE/POPIS NAZOČNIH/ELENCO DI PRESENZA/APMEKLĒJUMU REĢISTRS/DALYVIŲ SĄRAŠAS/ JELENLÉTI ÍV/REĠISTRU TA' ATTENDENZA/PRESENTIELIJST/LISTA OBECNOŚCI/LISTA DE PRESENÇAS/ LISTĂ DE PREZENŢĂ/PREZENČNÁ LISTINA/SEZNAM NAVZOČIH/LÄSNÄOLOLISTA/DELTAGARLISTA Бюро/Mesa/Předsednictvo/Formandskabet/Vorstand/Juhatus/Προεδρείο/Bureau/Predsjedništvo/Ufficio di presidenza/prezidijs/ Biuras/Elnökség/Prezydium/Birou/Predsedníctvo/Predsedstvo/Puheenjohtajisto/Presidiet (*) Michèle Alliot-Marie (P) Членове/Diputados/Poslanci/Medlemmer/Mitglieder/Parlamendiliikmed/Μέλη/Members/Députés/Zastupnici/Deputati/Deputāti/Nariai/ Képviselõk/Membri/Leden/Posłowie/Deputados/Deputaţi/Jäsenet/Ledamöter Mario Borghezio, Wajid Khan Заместници/Suplentes/Náhradníci/Stedfortrædere/Stellvertreter/Asendusliikmed/Αναπληρωτές/Substitutes/Suppléants/Zamjenici/ Supplenti/Aizstājēji/Pavaduojantysnariai/Póttagok/Sostituti/Plaatsvervangers/Zastępcy/Membros suplentes/supleanţi/náhradníci/ Namestniki/Varajäsenet/Suppleanter Ramona Nicole Mănescu 200 (2) Bodil Valero 206 (3) 53 (8) (Точка от дневния ред/punto del orden del día/bod pořadu jednání (OJ)/Punkt på dagsordenen/tagesordnungspunkt/ Päevakorra punkt/ημερήσια Διάταξη Σημείο/Agenda item/point OJ/Točka dnevnog reda/punto all'ordine del giorno/darba kārtības punkts/darbotvarkės punktas/napirendi pont/punt Aġenda/Agendapunt/Punkt porządku dziennego/ponto OD/Punct de pe ordinea de zi/bod programu schôdze/točka UL/Esityslistan kohta/föredragningslista punkt) EN PE v /8 PV\ EN.docx

5 Наблюдатели/Observadores/Pozorovatelé/Observatører/Beobachter/Vaatlejad/Παρατηρητές/Observers/Observateurs/Promatrači/ Osservatori/Novērotāji/Stebėtojai/Megfigyelők/Osservaturi/Waarnemers/Obserwatorzy/Observadores/Observatori/Pozorovatelia/ Opazovalci/Tarkkailijat/Observatörer По покана на председателя/por invitación del presidente/na pozvání předsedy/efter indbydelse fra formanden/auf Einladung des Vorsitzenden/Esimehe kutsel/με πρόσκληση του Προέδρου/At the invitation of the Chair(wo)man/Sur l'invitation du président/ Na poziv predsjednika/su invito del presidente/pēc priekšsēdētāja uzaicinājuma/pirmininkui pakvietus/az elnök meghívására/ Fuq stedina taċ-'chairman'/op uitnodiging van de voorzitter/na zaproszenie Przewodniczącego/A convite do Presidente/La invitaţia preşedintelui/na pozvanie predsedu/na povabilo predsednika/puheenjohtajan kutsusta/på ordförandens inbjudan Colonel Turki bin Saleh Al Malki, Spokesperson for coalition forces in Yemen Съвет/Consejo/Rada/Rådet/Rat/Nõukogu/Συμβούλιο/Council/Conseil/Vijeće/Consiglio/Padome/Taryba/Tanács/Kunsill/Raad/ Conselho/Consiliu/Svet/Neuvosto/Rådet (*) Комисия/Comisión/Komise/Kommissionen/Kommission/Euroopa Komisjon/Επιτροπή/Commission/Komisija/Commissione/Bizottság/ Kummissjoni/Commissie/Komisja/Comissão/Comisie/Komisia/Komissio/Kommissionen (*) Европейска служба за външна дейност/servicio Europeo de Acción Exterior/Evropská služba pro vnější činnost/ EU-Udenrigstjenesten/Europäischer Auswärtiger Dienst/Euroopa välisteenistus/ευρωπαϊκή Υπηρεσία Εξωτερικής Δράσης/European External Action service/service européen pour l'action extérieure/europska služba za vanjsko djelovanje/servizio europeo per l azione esterna/eiropas Ārējās darbības dienests/europos išorės veiksmų tarnyba/európai Külügyi Szolgálat/Servizz Ewropew għall-azzjoni Esterna/Europese dienst voor extern optreden/europejska Służba Działań Zewnętrznych/Serviço Europeu para a Acção Externa/ Serviciul european pentru acţiune externă/európska služba pre vonkajšiu činnosť/evropska služba za zunanje delovanje/euroopan ulkosuhdehallinto/europeiska avdelningen för yttre åtgärd (*) Други институции/otras instituciones/ostatní orgány a instituce/andre institutioner/andere Organe/Muud institutsioonid/ Άλλα θεσμικά όργανα/other institutions/autres institutions/druge institucije/altre istituzioni/citas iestādes/kitos institucijos/ Más intézmények/istituzzjonijiet oħra/andere instellingen/inne instytucje/outras Instituições/Alte instituţii/iné inštitúcie/muut toimielimet/andra institutioner/organ N PV\ EN.docx 5/8 PE v01-00 E

6 Други участници/otros participantes/ostatní účastníci/endvidere deltog/andere Teilnehmer/Muud osalejad/επίσης Παρόντες/Other participants/autres participants/drugi sudionici/altri partecipanti/citi klātesošie/kiti dalyviai/más résztvevők/parteċipanti ohra/andere aanwezigen/inni uczestnicy/outros participantes/alţi participanţi/iní účastníci/drugi udeleženci/muut osallistujat/övriga deltagare H.E. Mrs Bahiya Al Jishi and Saeed Saeed, Bahrain embassy H.E. Mr Mohamed Mustafa, Ahlam Al Mofhli, Ioay Al Aswadi and Yazan Al Eryani, Yemen embassy H.E. Mohammed Abushahab AlSuwaidi, Samsun Aljabri, Humaid Al Ghfeti, UAE embassy H.E. Mr Amadou Diop, Ambassador of Senegal H.E. Yousef Butaineh, Mutif Siddig Ali, Sudan embassy Fenny Nuli, Malaysian mission Mohsen Shadey, Embassy of Egypt Fahad Alqoblan, Fahad Al Shalhoub, Mohammad Ayaz, Sulafer Mousa, Aisha Hussain Latif, Faisa Alsidairi, Naif Al Ghfein, Motref Almotref, Haitham Aloudah, Saudi Arabia embassy Abeer Al Jummaid, Mission of Jordan to the EU Fahad Alfadhli, Kuwait mission Saida Ahmad Azouzi Nour Alhola, journaliste Ferrat Lakhdar, journaliste Секретариат на политическите групи/secretaría de los Grupos políticos/sekretariát politických skupin/gruppernes sekretariat/ Sekretariat der Fraktionen/Fraktsioonide sekretariaat/γραμματεία των Πολιτικών Ομάδων/Secretariats of political groups/secrétariat des groupes politiques/tajništva klubova zastupnika/segreteria gruppi politici/politisko grupu sekretariāts/frakcijų sekretoriai/ Képviselőcsoportok titkársága/segretarjat gruppi politiċi/fractiesecretariaten/sekretariat Grup Politycznych/Secr. dos grupos políticos/secretariate grupuri politice/sekretariát politických skupín/sekretariat političnih skupin/poliittisten ryhmien sihteeristöt/ Gruppernas sekretariat PPE S&D ECR ALDE Verts/ALE GUE/NGL EFDD ENF NI Gabor Török, Ajla Hotic Daniele Unalu Stephanos Ioannou Itziar Munoa Victoria Hansson Malhoef Elvira Hernandez Toledo Кабинет на председателя/gabinete del Presidente/Kancelář předsedy/formandens Kabinet/Kabinett des Präsidenten/Presidendi kantselei/γραφείο Προέδρου/President's Office/Cabinet du Président/Ured predsjednika/gabinetto del Presidente/Priekšsēdētāja kabinets/pirmininko kabinetas/elnöki hivatal/kabinett tal-president/kabinet van de Voorzitter/Gabinet Przewodniczącego/Gabinete do Presidente/Cabinet Preşedinte/Kancelária predsedu/urad predsednika/puhemiehen kabinetti/talmannens kansli Кабинет на генералния секретар/gabinete del Secretario General/Kancelář generálního tajemníka/generalsekretærens Kabinet/ Kabinett des Generalsekretärs/Peasekretäri büroo/γραφείο Γενικού Γραμματέα/Secretary-General's Office/Cabinet du Secrétaire général/ured glavnog tajnika/gabinetto del Segretario generale/ģenerālsekretāra kabinets/generalinio sekretoriaus kabinetas/ Főtitkári hivatal/kabinett tas-segretarju Ġenerali/Kabinet van de secretaris-generaal/gabinet Sekretarza Generalnego/Gabinete do Secretário-Geral/Cabinet Secretar General/Kancelária generálneho tajomníka/urad generalnega sekretarja/pääsihteerin kabinetti/ Generalsekreterarens kansli EN PE v /8 PV\ EN.docx

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8 Генерална дирекция/dirección General/Generální ředitelství/generaldirektorat/generaldirektion/peadirektoraat/γενική Διεύθυνση/ Directorate-General/Direction générale/glavna uprava/direzione generale/ģenerāldirektorāts/generalinis direktoratas/főigazgatóság/ Direttorat Ġenerali/Directoraten-generaal/Dyrekcja Generalna/Direcção-Geral/Direcţii Generale/Generálne riaditeľstvo/generalni direktorat/pääosasto/generaldirektorat DG PRES DG IPOL DG EXPO DG EPRS DG COMM DG PERS DG INLO DG TRAD DG INTE DG FINS DG ITEC DG SAFE Jozsef Blaszauer, Fabio Frettoli Правна служба/servicio Jurídico/Právní služba/juridisk Tjeneste/Juristischer Dienst/Õigusteenistus/Νομική Υπηρεσία/Legal Service/ Service juridique/pravna služba/servizio giuridico/juridiskais dienests/teisės tarnyba/jogi szolgálat/servizz legali/juridische Dienst/ Wydział prawny/serviço Jurídico/Serviciu Juridic/Právny servis/oikeudellinen yksikkö/rättstjänsten Секретариат на комисията/secretaría de la comisión/sekretariát výboru/udvalgssekretariatet/ausschusssekretariat/komisjoni sekretariaat/γραμματεία επιτροπής/committee secretariat/secrétariat de la commission/tajništvo odbora/segreteria della commissione/ Komitejas sekretariāts/komiteto sekretoriatas/a bizottság titkársága/segretarjat tal-kumitat/commissiesecretariaat/sekretariat komisji/ Secretariado da comissão/secretariat comisie/sekretariat odbora/valiokunnan sihteeristö/utskottssekretariatet Aneta Popescu Black Сътрудник/Asistente/Asistent/Assistent/Assistenz/Βοηθός/Assistant/Assistente/Palīgs/Padėjėjas/Asszisztens/Asystent/Pomočnik/ Avustaja/Assistenter Barbara Ajmi * (P) = Председател/Presidente/Předseda/Formand/Vorsitzender/Esimees/Πρόεδρος/Chair(wo)man/Président/Predsjednik/Priekšsēdētājs/ Pirmininkas/Elnök/'Chairman'/Voorzitter/Przewodniczący/Preşedinte/Predseda/Predsednik/Puheenjohtaja/Ordförande (VP) = Заместник-председател/Vicepresidente/Místopředseda/Næstformand/Stellvertretender Vorsitzender/Aseesimees/Αντιπρόεδρος/ Vice-Chair(wo)man/Potpredsjednik/Vice-Président/Potpredsjednik/Priekšsēdētāja vietnieks/pirmininko pavaduotojas/alelnök/ Viċi 'Chairman'/Ondervoorzitter/Wiceprzewodniczący/Vice-Presidente/Vicepreşedinte/Podpredseda/Podpredsednik/ Varapuheenjohtaja/Vice ordförande (M) = Член/Miembro/Člen/Medlem./Mitglied/Parlamendiliige/Μέλος/Member/Membre/Član/Membro/Deputāts/Narys/Képviselő/ Membru/Lid/Członek/Membro/Membru/Člen/Poslanec/Jäsen/Ledamot (F) = Длъжностно лице/funcionario/úředník/tjenestemand/beamter/ametnik/υπάλληλος/official/fonctionnaire/dužnosnik/ Funzionario/Ierēdnis/Pareigūnas/Tisztviselő/Uffiċjal/Ambtenaar/Urzędnik/Funcionário/Funcţionar/Úradník/Uradnik/Virkamies/ Tjänsteman EN PE v /8 PV\ EN.docx