Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz received in Jeddah on Monday President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Salih, who left Jeddah yesterday after a two-day state visit to the Kingdom. Attending the talks, which covered international developments as well as bilateral issues, were Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector-General Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, and a number of high-ranking officials. Prince Sultan later called on the visiting dignitary and exchanged cordial talks with him. President Salih also met yesterday with a number of Saudi businessmen.
On his arrival, President Salih made a statement stressing the importance of his current state visit in terms of strengthening the deep-rooted ties between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. He praised Crown Prince Abdullah's visits to Yemen last year, and again recently, describing them as bright stations along the path of fraternal relations between the two neighboring countries. Following a luncheon reception yesterday given by Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, President Salih commented on the fact that it is one year since the signing of the land and sea border treaty between the two countries. Earlier, Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz visited President Salih at his guest residence, and referring to the first anniversary of the treaty, expressed the hope that other Arab nations who have border disputes will follow the Saudi-Yemeni example in resolving them. The two countries, he said, have proved they are working for their mutual benefit. In response to a question on Yemeni workers in the Kingdom, he gave assurances that they were welcome. Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Yemen Abdulqadir Bajamal met in Sanaa yesterday with a delegation from the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Electricity to review aspects of cooperation, notably in linking electricity grids.
Return