ISLAMABAD, 11 April 2006 — Yemen wants to further strengthen its brotherly relations with Pakistan and enter into a new phase of bilateral relations, said Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh here yesterday.
“Yemen and Pakistan will further strengthen their bilateral relations in different spheres, promote bilateral trade and commerce and improve their cooperation in regional and international issues,” Saleh said after his arrival at the Chaklala Air Base.
Saleh arrived on a two-day visit to Islamabad yesterday for talks with Pakistani leaders and to sign a series of agreements, the Foreign Ministry said.
As a gesture of goodwill, President Pervez Musharraf was himself present at the air force base in the garrison town of Rawalpindi to receive his Yemeni counterpart, who last visited Pakistan 19 years ago.
Saleh is accompanied by his ministers and a delegation of top businessmen.
Saleh held talks with Musharraf late yesterday, the Foreign Ministry said. They exchanged views on regional and international issues and reaffirmed the desire to further expand and consolidate ties, the ministry said.
“The two sides reiterated their resolve to cooperate closely in their common fight against terrorism and extremism, and their commitment to the protection of Islam’s identity and values,” it said.
The Yemeni president is due to hold talks also with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and five agreements would be signed during his visit, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.
Earlier, in a written statement upon his arrival Saleh said, “Besides having bilateral talks and signing new agreements with Pakistan subjects like Iraq, Iran and Somalia were also their on his agenda during his talks with Musharraf.
Both Pakistan and Yemen are involved in fighting suspected members of Al-Qaeda with the support of Washington. Musharraf visited Yemen in December last year.
The agreements relate to cooperation in media, sports and youth affairs, cooperation in tourism, cooperation in the fields of standards, quality and specifications and cooperation between export authorities, she said.
