President Saleh to visit Spain, Belgium, India, Turkey

SANA’A, (Saba)- Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi has stated that President Ali Abdullah Saleh would pay next November official visits to Spain, Belgium, India and Turkey. Al-Qirbi said Thursday the concerned bodies are currently preparing the visits’ agendas that would include talks with leaders of those countries to enhance and develop mutual cooperation relations between Yemen and the four countries. Al-Qirbi noted that President Saleh would focus during talks on the developmental aspects, including attracting foreign investments, projects and aids to finance programs and plans of development process in the country for reducing poverty, unemployment and finding new jobs for youths. Praising Turkey’s role in the Islamic Conference Organization and the region, al-Qirbi pointed that the President’s visit to Turkey would strengthen the joint Islamic efforts and issues of the joint cooperation. “The President Saleh’s visit to India would enhance the economic partnership between the two countries and achieve better cooperation in future”, said al-Qirbi. “The President’s visit to Spain has more importance as it goes in line with the political understanding between the two countries and with Yemen’s efforts to increase it diplomatic representation in Madrid to a resident ambassador”, said al-Qirbi, pointing that Spain is also keen to strengthen the developmental relations with Yemen and finance economic and service projects in the country. Spain opened its embassy in Sana’a last April during a visit of the Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos to the country. The two sides stressed the importance of fostering mutual cooperation ties especially in the areas of economy and investment. Al-Qirbi affirmed that the President’s visit to Belgium would boost the level of joint cooperation and coordination between the two countries, particularly the European Union’s headquarters located in Brussels, where President Saleh would hold talks with EU’s officials on aspects of cooperation and developmental partnership between Yemen and EU. “The President Saleh’s upcoming visits would focus on the latest developments in the Middle East region, particularly in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia as well as reviewing the international efforts to crack down all forms of terrorism, discussing reforms of the United Nations and rooting the world peace”, al-Qirbi underlined. YA/NS Saba