King Abdullah reassures Saleh
King Abdullah receives Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh at Khoraim Gardens on Tuesday. (SPA)
Published: Feb 23, 2010 23:38 Updated: Feb 24, 2010 00:07
RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held talks here Tuesday with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and reiterated Saudi Arabia's support for Yemen's security, stability, prosperity and territorial integrity.
Saleh, who is visiting the Kingdom for the first time after the Yemeni infiltrators attacked a Saudi border post three months ago and the Kingdom's military action to drive out the intruders, highlighted the strong relations between the two Arab neighbors.
The Yemeni president thanked the Saudi government for its continuous support to his country. The two leaders discussed major regional and international issues.
"The talks between King Abdullah and President Saleh focused on expanding cooperation between the two countries in all areas," an official statement said.
The talks at Khoraim Gardens outside Riyadh were attended by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, intelligence chief Prince Muqrin, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs Prince Khaled bin Sultan, Deputy Commander of the National Guard Prince Miteb bin Abdullah and Assistant Interior Minister for Security Affairs Prince Muhammad bin Naif.
In a statement on Monday, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif said the Saudi-Yemeni summit talks would deal with the Yemeni infiltrators. "We hope the Yemeni government and Houthis would reach an agreement based on six points. Unfortunately it did not happen and the fighting continues. This is an internal issue of Yemen," Prince Naif told reporters in Doha.
Prince Naif said Saudi Arabia would not allow anybody to occupy even a small part of its land. "With regard to the (Yemeni intruders') attack on the Kingdom, I would like to repeat what King Abdullah said that Saudi Arabia would not attack any neighboring country and would not accept anybody to occupy even an inch of its land and that the Kingdom would fight back until victory or martyrdom. "By the Grace of God, we have achieved victory," Prince Naif said.
Meanwhile, Yemeni rebels said Tuesday that the last two Saudi soldiers they were believed to be holding captive were dead. A rebel spokesman told Al-Jazeera television that the insurgents had informed a cease-fire committee about the death of the two soldiers, the last of five held by the rebels.
The insurgents offered Riyadh a truce last month and handed over three captive soldiers last week, one to a cease-fire committee and two to Yemeni authorities. Saudi Arabia had said the soldiers' release would help prove the rebels were serious about ending their conflict with the Kingdom, which was forced to join the war between the rebels and the Yemeni government on Nov. 4, a day after the insurgents killed a Saudi border guard and occupied two villages inside Saudi territory.
