Yemeni Community in Moscow Raises Concerns with Foreign Minister Shae'a Al-Zindani

On Thursday, August 29th, 2024, Shae'a Al-Zindani, the Foreign Minister of Yemen's internationally recognized government, met with the leadership of the Yemeni community in Moscow. The meeting, held at the Yemeni embassy in Moscow, was also attended by members of the Yemeni diplomatic mission in Russia.

Sources within the Yemeni community told "Bran Press" that the meeting focused on discussing the challenges faced by the community and potential solutions for various pressing issues directly affecting Yemenis in Russia.

Key concerns raised during the meeting included:

• Passport Delays: The long wait times for passports, ranging from 3 to 6 months, were highlighted.
• Passport Fees: The community advocated for equalizing passport fees for Yemeni citizens and students in Russia with those of other countries, as well as the adoption of automated passport issuance at the embassy.
• Cultural Center: The possibility of establishing a Yemeni cultural center in Moscow was discussed to promote Yemeni cultural heritage and traditions through diverse events organized by the community in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry.
• Visa Restrictions: The leadership of the Yemeni community addressed the issue of visa restrictions for entering Russia, particularly the challenge of removing Yemen from the list of countries prohibiting entry for non-sponsored students. They also sought solutions for the problem of Yemenis being detained at Russian airports despite possessing valid visas.
• Prisoners in Russia: The community highlighted the plight of Yemeni citizens imprisoned in Russia and their proactive role in advocating for their release. They cited their success in securing a meeting with Russian authorities to release two prisoners in Murmansk within two weeks.

In response, Foreign Minister Al-Zindani expressed his commitment to addressing these issues directly, emphasizing the need to secure the release of remaining prisoners in Sokhrova as soon as possible.

The leadership of the Yemeni community in Russia expressed their readiness to play any role that could serve the Yemeni cause, support Yemeni citizens, and strengthen relations between the two friendly countries.

On Monday, August 26th, Foreign Minister Al-Zindani arrived in Moscow at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. In a subsequent statement, Al-Zindani spoke of positive developments in the relationship with Russia, citing the formation of a joint committee, the activation of several bilateral agreements, and the pursuit of new cooperation agreements in various economic sectors.