Saleh receives participating delegations in 37th AFI meetings

SANA’A, April 02 (Saba) – President Ali Abdullah Saleh, along with Vice President Abdu Rabu Manour Hadi, received Wednesday the participating delegation in the 37th annual meeting of Arab Financial Institutions (AFI) which kicked off here on Wednesday. Saleh welcomed delegations of the Arab financial, planning and trade ministers and heads of fiscal institutions and financial funds in Arab states. He stressed importance of the Arab integration for realizing the desired aspirations of the nation, particularly in this age that is based on groupings. “Arab states have strong ties with European Union, East Asian countries, African continent and the United Sates, but it was better to have economic integration, joint interests and benefits exchange between us,” said Saleh. He added that we should “talk about ourselves before talking about foreign countries”, saying what we have accomplished in all areas, especially for assisting poor countries by rich ones. “I consider your meeting here in Sana’a a positive and important step. It is a chance to review with you reforms we have achieved in Yemen” the president said. Then he highlighted the several parliamentary, local and presidential elections conducted in the country, concluding with the recent one of the local councils and presidential 2006 elections. The government also adopts a program for economic, financial, administrative and judicial reforms, he said, noting to a number of steps have been taken in 2007-2008 for promoting investment environment in Yemen. You can acquaint yourselves with these laws of investment via Yemeni concerned bodies, he said, welcoming Arab and foreign capitals to invest in the country. The president voiced his high appreciation of the Arab funds’ contributions to the Yemen’s development process, wishing all the successes for the AFI’s meetings. MS/AF Saba