Al-Ruwaishan: No Peace at Sea If Sovereignty Not Achieved for Yemen’s Territorial Waters
There can be no peace at sea if sovereignty is not achieved for Yemen’s territorial waters and islands, Deputy Prime Minister Lieutenant General Jalal Al-Ruwaishan affirmed on Monday.
Al-Ruwaishan indicated in a statement to Al-Masirah that the Maritime Security Conference, which will be held on January 22, carries a two-fold message.
The message, he said, is Yemen is the only one concerned with protecting its shores and territorial waters and it is a partner in the security of international passages.
“There is no concession or division with regard to our absolute sovereignty over our maritime, land and air territories,” he added. “We will face any threat to our territorial waters or our islands.”
In early January, Al-Ruwaishan said that Sana’a is preparing for a national conference on maritime security.
He stressed that Sana’a is ready for the international partnership in securing trade and navigation routes in international waters, and at the same time it exercises full sovereignty over its water, air and land territory.
He pointed out that Yemen is keen on the security of the Red Sea, waterways and freedom of international navigation, and the continuation of the aggression and blockade makes Sana’a’s options open.
Sana’a realizes, from the first day of the aggression, that dividing Yemen and controlling the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and occupying its vital ports and islands is one of the main goals of launching the aggression led by the US, Britain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Therefore, despite the aggression and blockade, Sana’a was able to go a long way in rebuilding its naval strategy, and its military capabilities, which are increasingly proving efficient and growing in deterrence.
The massive military parade that took place in Sana’a and Hodeidah recently also revealed new high-precision naval and air weapons systems, such as the anti-ship missiles, and the Zulfiqar ballistic missiles.
In late December, Yemen’s Minister of Defense Major General Mohammad Al-Atifi confirmed that the maritime security of Yemen’s territorial waters will be a priority in the next stage.
He explained that the Armed Forces have taken all measures to ensure that they deal forcefully and firmly with any development that poses a threat or prejudice to national maritime sovereignty.
“The Armed Forces are concerned with following disciplinary methods for those who plunder or tamper with the rights of the Yemeni people, and there are disciplinary options that will be taken and announced in due course,” he added. “We have options for which no one will blame us if we resort to them, because we have provided all means to reach a positive end, but the enemy refuses.”
Al-Atifi stated that the Armed Forces, from their patriotic defensive position, will never allow the societal fabric of the people of Yemen to be affected along the Yemeni map.