CSO from US State Department and SDRPY Complete 2nd Stabilization Workshop
Workshop trained more than 80 professionals from a number of Saudi ministries and government agencies
A workshop focused on key challenges to stabilization operations and organized by the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), and with the participation of the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, U.S. Embassy Sana’a, USAID, and Department of Defense has concluded. Building on the activities of a workshop in April, participants discussed future stabilization programs and ways to improve international coordination of Yemen demining activities.
The workshop included participants from Saudi ministries, including Defense, Foreign Affairs, Labor and Social Development, Finance, Media, and Economy and Planning, and from the Saudi Fund for Development and King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief).
Saudi Ambassador to Yemen and Supervisor-General of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen Mohammed Al Jabir and U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Christopher Henzel gave opening speeches. Ambassador Al Jabir, Ambassador Henzel and U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John P. Abizaid delivered remarks at the conclusion of the event.
Ambassadors Abizaid and Henzel noted that U.S. policy remained focused on working with America’s international partners to bring peace, prosperity, and security to Yemen. They stressed U.S. support for diplomatic engagement to end the fighting, facilitating delivery of humanitarian relief, and achieving a comprehensive political agreement in Yemen in coordination with the UN Special Envoy and UN-mediated peace talks.
“Four years into the conflict in Yemen, we must work together to find a political solution, and we also must help Yemeni citizens and institutions achieve and maintain the peace,” said Ambassador Abizaid. “There is no doubt that a stable Yemen is in the interests of all Yemenis, but also the United States and Saudi Arabia.”
“Sustainable development is the key to stabilization in Yemen, and we have had a very productive exchange of views and knowledge here,” Ambassador Al Jabir said of the workshop. “The US-Saudi partnership is vital to international stability and security.”
The mission of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen is to create the conditions for stability, peace, prosperity and security in Yemen by implementing sustainable development projects and initiatives in all Yemeni provinces.
The mission of the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations is to anticipate, prevent, and respond to conflict that undermines U.S. national interests.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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