Yemen prime minister seeks Gulf aid

By Reuters

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Yemen's Prime Minister Mohammed Basindwa left Saudi Arabia on Tuesday with a promise of support, but without a concrete figure for any aid it would receive.

"Certainly we have had a concrete commitment from the government of (King Abdullah) to provide Yemen with the support they feel is needed in this transitional period," said Foreign Minister Abubakr Al Qirbi, who is accompanying Basindwa on his tour of Gulf Arab capitals.

Asked if Saudi Arabia had put a figure on the amount of aid it would give, he added: "Not yet, but I hope it will be soon."

Basindwa met Saudi King Abdullah on Monday.

Qirbi met Gulf Arab deputy finance ministers last month to discuss aid to Yemen.

The Yemeni prime minister and foreign minister will meet other Gulf Arab leaders this week to talk about help for the Arabian Peninsula state.

Last month Saudi Arabia agreed to donate fuel to Yemen.