[29/November/2008]

SANA'A, Nov. 29 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh called on the United Nation and international community to form international forces for fighting piracy in Aden Gulf and the Arab Sea in cooperation with countries in the region.

He affirmed in interview with French Radio and TV that fighting piracy in Aden Gulf and the Arab Sea does not concern Yemen only but also all international countries and this case all integrated efforts for eradicating piracy and securing international maritime lines, hoping from existing French and American ships in the region to take great responsibility in facing piracy in this vital region.


He voiced Yemen's readiness to embrace regional center for fighting piracy and working on gathering international efforts for this purpose, renewing call for international community to work on supporting Somali institutions.

He described Yemeni-French relations as unique, declaring that President Sarkozy would pay a visit to Yemen during the first half of 2009 in the ceremony for launching the project of exporting Yemeni liquefied gas Yemen currently is carrying out with French Total Company and a number of other international companies.

Over internal matters, President Saleh reaffirmed that parliamentarian elections would be held on constitutional timetable fixed on April 27 2009, hoping active participation of opposition.

Regarding incidents Yemen has witnessed during the past three decades, the president said the past thirty years have been full of incidents and many difficulties "but praising to Allah we could overcome them with the help of those who are loyal to the homeland" and could also reunifying Yemen peacefully according to agreement between the two parts of Yemen then.

Over unrests in southern and eastern areas evoked by some elements, he said that those who evoke unrests in these areas are those who ignited separation war in summer 94. These elements have been sleeping and have waked up to repeat the past same demands.

MA