President, UK Foreign Secretary discuss Riyadh meeting arrangements

Saba
SANA’A, Feb.10 (Saba) -President Ali Abdullah Saleh and British Foreign Secretary William Hague have discussed here the current arrangements of Yemen Friends’ Group meeting to be held in Riyadh next March. President Saleh and UK Secretary talked about British contribution to prop up developmental and democratic process in Yemen in addition to a number of issues relating to the reforms in Yemen, counterterrorism and security cooperation. They also touched on the last development in the region, topped by the situations in Tunisia and Egypt and in the Horn of Africa as well. The British Secretary hailed the President Saleh’s initiative announced in the joint meeting of the Parliament and Shura councils for dialogue and carrying out a package of reforms. He also affirmed his country’s keenness to enhance its relations with Yemen and its support for Yemen in the Riyadh meeting to yield with fruitful results assisting the development efforts in Yemen. In return, the President appreciated the British stance on supporting Yemen’s security, stability and unity, noting to the efforts Britain has made since holding London’s donor conference in 2006,Yemen Friends’ meeting and the following meetings. Saleh accented Yemen’s keenness to strengthen its relations with Britain in all aspects. The President pinned hopes of the Riyadh meeting to yield with the desired results, particularly the establishment of a fund for supporting the development projects in Yemen. British Foreign Secretary and his accompanying delegation left Sana’a on Wednesday after a short visit to Yemen. During the visit, Hague held talks with President Saleh and a number of officials in the government on the bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them. FJ/AF