President meets British officials in London

LONDON, Aug.12 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh met on Thursday in his residence in the British capital ,London, with British Secretaries of State for Defence, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and International Development. Talks in the meeting dealt with aspects of bilateral relations and joint cooperation between the two countries at the political, developmental, and military and security levels, in addition to efforts to combat terrorism and maritime piracy and support Yemeni coastguard. President Saleh commended the growing development witnessed by the Yemeni-British relations and the UK supportive positions to security, stability, unity, development and democracy in Yemen. He stressed the mutual keenness to establish long-term strategic relations between the two countries so as to serve the common interests of the two countries. Saleh welcomed British investments in Yemen, noting that the investment is a way to support efforts of combating terrorism, as it provides job opportunities and reduces unemployment and prevents terrorist and extremist elements from attracting young people through exploiting their economic conditions. For their parts, the British officials expressed their country’s keenness to strengthen its relations with Yemen at various levels, affirming their country’s support for a stable and unified Yemen. They praised the steps taken be Yemen to apply what came in the Declaration of London on the reforms in Yemen as well as actions taken to implement the agenda of the Group of Friends of Yemen, which would hold its meeting in New York in next September. The British officials voiced their satisfaction with the existing dialogue between the political forces in Yemen to discuss the issues that serve Yemen’s interest and stability, affirming the British government’s blessing for this dialogue. They also confirmed their support to Yemen’s efforts in the field of combating terrorism and their support to the Yemeni coastguard. BA Saba