Japanese FM receives President Saleh’s letter

TOKYO, April 21 ( Saba)- Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdul-Karim al-Arhabi handed over on Monday a written letter to Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiki Moumura from President Ali Abdullah Saleh to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda related to mutual cooperation ties between the two countries and means of boosting and improving them. The letter dealt with Yemen’s evaluation for Japanese role in improving joint cooperation framework with Yemen and its developmental contribution during the past three decades, in addition to crystallizing the two countries trends in this regard within rising Japanese aid to support developmental efforts in the country. During the talks, they reviewed results of president Saleh’s visit to Japan in November 2005 which focused on the necessity to open extended cooperation fields in water, health care, education and vocational training fields. The Japanese Minister announced Japanese financial donation worth 400 million Japanese Yan ($ 3.8 million) to fund a number of developmental projects. He said that the Japanese government would send a technical mission to evaluate needs and priorities of vocational training sector in training and qualifying teachers and to launch implementation of 20 water projects in rural areas. He noted that Japan is considering resuming offering soft loans for Yemen for development projects. NN/AM Saba