Almotamar.net, Saba - With participation of twenty countries, the first meeting for Yemen Friends Group was started on Monday in Abu Dhabi capital of United Arab Emirates.

In the opening session of the meeting, UAE assistant Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Khaled al-Ghaith confirmed commitment of the United Arab Emirates to continue its cooperation with friends of Yemen to serve development in Yemen.

He said that that the meeting of Yemen's friends is a result of the recent London conference on challenges facing Yemen, adding that it is first meeting for coordination and consultation.

The UAE official said that reforms agenda, has been carried by the Yemeni government since 1995, would help Yemen to achieve economic progress, saying that international community has started since years to cooperate with the Yemeni government to overcome challenges facing the country.

The meeting was co-chaired by UAE and Germany.

For his part, the Yemeni Deputy Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Hisham Sharaf expressed appreciation of the Yemeni government for the UAE government to support the development in Yemen and host this meeting, highlighting the German government to chair the meeting as well.

He also reviewed plans and program implemented by the Yemeni government during last decade including reforms agenda, saying that Yemen needs for gathering efforts to pass all challenges facing the development process in the nation.

Sharaf said that the Yemeni government is holding talks with the International Monetary Fund to carry out a set of reforms which aim at achieving financial and economic stability.

The head of the Middle East department at the German Foreign Ministry affirmed importance of the meeting, considering it as a chance that the Yemeni government could achieve progresses to pass its economic problems.

He said that the success of the meeting is based on support that would be presented by the friends of Yemen.