Yemeni-European joint committee to convene in Sanaa

The meetings of the Yemeni-European joint committee kick off on Wednesday in Sana\'a, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mohammed al-Sa\'adi said Tuesday. The meetings will be co-chaired the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and European Union (EU) ambassador Bettina Muscheidt and with the participation of representatives of European States and organizations working in the country. The meetings will discuss several issues related to the joint cooperation between Yemen and EU, and trends of the future EU-provided development aid to Yemen, especially in areas of education, health, good governance, national dialogue, elections and projects of the Social Fund for Development (SFD), al-Sa\'adi said. The Yemen\'s priority needs included in the Transitional Program for Stabilization and Development (TPSD) for 2012 and 2013 will also be reviewed in the meetings in addition to the details of accelerating the allocation of the European pledges to Yemen announced in Riyadh and New York meetings held in last September, he added. The funds the EU announced to grant Yemen in Riyadh donor meeting amounted to $215 million. The total sum was allocated to support the TPSD.