Preparatory meeting of Yemen Friends' conference held

LONDON, March 24 (Saba) – A preparatory meeting of Yemen Friends' conference was held on Friday and stipulated to hold the coming ministerial meeting of Yemen Friends in Riyadh on 23 May 2012 and to be followed by a meeting of donors.

The meeting, which co-chaired by Yemen, Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom (UK), discussed the latest developments in the political, economic and security fields as well as the urgent needs for Yemen for the coming phase and what can be provided by Yemen friends in this regard.

Undersecretary of Planning and International Cooperation Ministry Mohammed al-Hawiri, who headed the Yemeni delegation along with Yemeni ambassador to London Abdullah al-Rahdi, talked about the country's economic needs for the coming stage and the consequences of the political crisis on Yemen economy.

"Yemen is about to issue an economic plan which would cover its need for the coming two years", the minister said.

Meanwhile, al-Rahdi valued efforts exerted by brotherly and friendly countries as well as the United Nations (UN) to assist Yemen to overcome its crisis by the signing of the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism on 23 February 2011.

This phase including many agendas, topped by holding the conference of National dialogue, the ambassador added.

The meeting also issued a statement welcomed the progress achieved by the Yemeni government in implementing the initiative's terms and calling the international community to offer the required support for Yemeni government.