Sana'a: Speaker of Parliament Yahya Ali al-Ra'i chaired a joint meeting on Saturday that included the Development and Oil Committee and government representatives, including Deputy Minister of Oil and Minerals Mohammed al-Najjar, Chairman of the Oil Exploration Authority Abdul Aziz al-Ghaffari, Director of the Yemen General Corporation for Oil and Gas Mahmoud al-Nawm, and Deputy Chairman of the Geological Survey Authority Bakil Rasam.
According to Yemen News Agency, the meeting was attended by directors of units and institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Oil and a number of specialists from relevant agencies. The Speaker of Parliament stressed the importance of concerted efforts and teamwork to confront conspiracies targeting Yemen, its sovereignty, resources, unity, security, and stability. The Council reiterated its warning to countries and mercenaries of the aggression against aligning themselves with plans targeting the resources of the Yemeni people or proceeding with any measures that would infringe upon national sovereignty. This includes the Saudi announcement regarding the so-called draft memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Geological Survey and the mercenary government, and the risks these measures pose to the Yemeni people's resources and sovereign wealth.
Yahya al-Ra'i emphasized the importance of preserving Yemen's sovereignty and its full rights to its resources, considering this a non-negotiable priority. He deemed these measures and understandings null and void, as they falsely claim the official status of the Geological Survey in Sana'a. He urged the relevant authorities to take deterrent measures against those impersonating competent authorities, in order to end the transgressions perpetrated by the countries of the aggression coalition in imposing their control over Yemeni sovereignty and to curb regional and international interference in Yemeni affairs.
The Speaker of Parliament called on everyone to strengthen unity, raise awareness and vigilance, and seize this historic moment to preserve Yemen's sovereignty, unity, and stability, in line with the achievements, victories, and honorable stances attained by Yemen. He described the aforementioned memorandum of understanding as an illegal act issued by mercenaries who do not represent Yemen, noting that geological data falls under Yemen's national economic security.
The speaker stressed the importance of establishing frameworks and foundations for future legislation, processing and analyzing data related to Yemeni resources and minerals, and curbing their plundering or misuse. He urged everyone to stand united under the leadership of the Leader of the Revolution, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, and the political leadership, in confronting the challenges and conspiracies being plotted against Yemen. He also urged the standing parliamentary committees to expedite the completion of their work and tasks.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Abdulrahman al-Jumai emphasized the importance of providing relevant parties with all agreements, contracts, and deals concluded by the so-called mercenary government, whether publicly announced or unannounced. He urged the Ministry of Oil and Minerals and its affiliated bodies to play their role in raising awareness through media outlets and social media platforms about the dangers, consequences, and damages of these memoranda and agreements concluded by the mercenaries of the aggression against Yemen.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Oil and Minerals affirmed the necessity of integrating efforts to confront aggressive schemes targeting the resources of the Yemeni people and plundering their oil and mineral wealth. He commended the role of the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives in confronting plots that attempt to undermine Yemen's sovereignty, unity, security, and stability.
In the same parliamentary context, the Development, Oil, and Mineral Resources Committee continued its meeting, chaired by Committee Chairman Mohammed Suwar. The committee discussed the topics referred to it in light of the outcomes of the expanded meeting of the Council's Presidium and the heads and rapporteurs of the standing committees. The committee heard clarifications from the Deputy Minister of Oil regarding the procedures undertaken by the Ministry and the Geological Survey Authority, which included rejecting the aforementioned memorandum of understanding.
The committee also heard from government specialists about mineral deposits in the liberated and occupied governorates. They pointed to resources being plundered in the occupied governorates, including rare elements and high-concentration quantities of various minerals. The Development, Oil, and Mineral Resources Committee approved receiving a comprehensive report on the matter.
The Labor and Social Affairs Committee continued its meeting, chaired by Azzam Salah, with the participation of government representatives. The committee discussed the activities of the General Organization for Social Insurance and the services it provides to retirees. The committee will continue its work to complete the discussion of the matters referred to it.
In a related matter, the Defense and Security Committee, chaired by Major General Ahmed Shayea, continued its meetings to discuss the draft amendment to Law No. 15 of 2000 concerning the Police Authority. The committee listened to members' observations on the articles of the draft law, which were incorporated into the committee's draft report for discussion with the relevant government representatives.