Saleh, Bush to tackle important topics

SANA’A, April 28 (Saba)- U.S. President George W. Bush would meet with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh this week, the White House has said. In its statement Thursday, the White House said that Saleh and Bush would discuss the progress Yemen has made in fields such as the political and economic reforms and the war on terror. Informed sources told Saba that Saleh would hold talks with senior officials in the Senate, the Congress and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) regarding the situation in the Middle East, the efforts to support the Arab Peace Initiative, the USA’s role as member of the Four-member Committee in dealing with the latest developments in Palestine, Iraq, Sudan and Somalia. The talks would focus on developing the cooperation between Yemen and USA in several fields such as economic, trade and investment, the sources said. The sources added that a committee from Foreign Ministry, the Presidency Office and the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation has been formed to make visit preparations. The USA has recently raised its annual aid to Yemen to $ 53 million and the MCC has accepted to qualify Yemen to joint it in its financial programs after the successful actions Yemen has made in the political and economic reforms and democracy practice. AF/NS Saba