On Friday, January 19, the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Fisheries, Major General Salem Abdullah al-Socotri, along with Acting Chairman and CEO of the Cooperative and Agricultural Credit Bank (CAC Bank), Mr. Hashid al-Hamdani, visited the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in the Federal Republic of Germany.

During the visit, which was part of their participation in the International Food and Agriculture Forum held in Berlin, the Minister al-Socotri and al-Hamdani met with Mrs. Katarina Spitz, Head of the Crisis Management and Transitional Development Assistance Division and the Ministry’s Development Team. Mrs. Spitz expressed her appreciation for the cooperation between the Yemeni and German ministries in supporting Yemen’s efforts to address the food crisis and food security issues, in partnership with other stakeholders. She emphasized that the German government is committed to continuing its support for Yemen to help overcome the various challenges it faces.

In turn, Mr. Hashid al-Hamdani expressed his appreciation for Germany’s noticeable commitment to enhancing development efforts in Yemen. He said, "We were honored to visit the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in the Federal Republic of Germany, accompanied by His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Fisheries, Major General Salem al-Socotri. The meeting with Mrs. Katarina Spitz, Head of the Crisis Management and Transitional Development Assistance Division, was an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of strengthening international partnerships to address the humanitarian and economic crises facing our country, Yemen."

Al-Hamdani added that during the meeting, they discussed the major challenges affecting food security in Yemen due to the exceptional circumstances the country is going through. They also highlighted the importance of continued German support for Yemen through development projects and transitional assistance programs, which would help alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people and support vital sectors such as agriculture and food security. The discussions also covered the return of GIZ and the resumption of its projects from the temporary capital, Aden, where the bank will play an active role in receiving financial flows for these projects.