President receives European officials in Brussels

BRUSSELS, Jan. 30 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh received at his residency in the Belgian capital, Brussels, deputy chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in European Parliament Baroness Emma Nicholson. Fields of mutual cooperation between Yemen and the European Parliament as well as the EU support for the democracy and development of Yemen were discussed. The European official highlighted democracy in Yemen, pointing out to the advanced steps in Yemen in terms of freedom of expression, women participation and human rights as well as democracy. Meanwhile, president Saleh received the honorary president of Belgian Senate and reporter of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. They discussed European-Yemeni ties and efforts to close Guantanamo detention. President Saleh renewed call of Yemen to close the detention and hand over Yemeni detainees in it, wishing an active role to close the detention which disagrees with principles of human rights and democracy of United States. He reviewed efforts of Yemen to merge misguided elements in the society by adopting intellectual dialogue with them to be good citizens and far from violence and extremism. AH/AM Saba