Yemen Monitor/Newspapers
Yemeni Minister of Transport, Abdul Salam Saleh Hamid, confirmed that the shift in shipping traffic to the Cape of Good Hope poses a major and direct threat to the interests of the countries bordering the Red Sea.
In a statement to “Al-Shorouk” on the sidelines of Yemen’s signing of the Arab Agreement on the Regulation of the Carriage of Goods by Road, Hamid explained that the impact of what is happening in the Red Sea is not limited to Yemen alone. He emphasized that Yemen is not the only country suffering losses as a result of these developments, but the effects of what is happening have become very clear to all countries bordering the Red Sea, including Egypt. He also affirmed that the impact of the deteriorating situation will not be limited to Yemen, Egypt, and the Red Sea countries, but rather is likely to affect all countries of the world.
Hamid considered that the shift of a large number of ships that used to pass through Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal towards the Cape of Good Hope route, in addition to the obstacles of marine insurance, rising shipping costs, and other challenges, has become a major and direct threat to the interests of the countries bordering the Red Sea. Therefore, the current situation necessitates that everyone work together to confront this conflict and confront all the threats that have come to surround us all.
Regarding Yemeni-Egyptian relations, the Yemeni Minister of Transport said that Egypt is our second country not only for the Yemenis but for all Arabs ,which has historical ties with Egypt.
He praised Cairo’s supportive stance towards Yemen following the outbreak of the war in 2015, saying, “Egypt was one of the first countries to open its airports to us after the war, and we will always be very keen to strengthen cooperation and consolidate Egyptian-Yemeni relations at all levels.”
Furthermore, Hamid affirmed that the Yemeni government is making great efforts to overcome the challenges resulting from the war in Yemen by rebuilding everything that has been destroyed, whether in terms of institutions or infrastructure, pointing to the recovery of seaports and airports, where work is being carried out well. However, he clarified that there is still more work and effort required until Yemen can restore its economic strength.
The Yemeni Minister of Transport also expressed his country’s aspiration to strengthen economic relations with the Arab countries of the region in light of its signing of the Arab Agreement on the Regulation of the Carriage of Goods by Road, noting that this agreement will serve as a reference for any disputes that may arise between carriers or goods.
Hamid also emphasized the importance of this agreement in significantly contributing to strengthening ties and relations between Yemen and the Arab countries, especially the Gulf Arab states, which share direct geographical borders with Yemen.
He pointed out that the main objective of the agreement is to encourage the movement of goods between Arab countries and grant more facilities for the overland transport of goods, as well as to overcome the restrictions and obstacles to overland transport on roads between them.
Hamid explained that one of the most prominent advantages of this agreement is its contribution to unifying the rules and procedures governing the international transport of goods by road between the contracting parties, particularly with regard to the documents used in the process of international transport of goods or with regard to the carrier’s liability and safeguarding the rights of the various parties and ensuring the fast resolution of disputes.
