Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen FMs to meet Friday

SANAA, Oct 31, 2004 (Yemen Times) — Ministers of Foreign affairs in Yemen, Sudan and Ethiopia (composing Sana’a Gathering for Cooperation) will meet in Ethiopia Friday. A Yemeni official source said.

Foreign Minister Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qirbi said that the meeting which will include the political and economic committees, will look into several issues including the arrangement of the meeting of the presidents of the three states in Sudan by the end of December.

The meeting will also discuss drafts for a number of agreements to promote investments and organize commercial relations aiming to set up a free trade market between the three countries.

The situation in Darfur as well as in Somalia particularly after the election of the new Somali president Abdullah Yusuf will be considered.

The meeting of the foreign ministers will be followed by another meeting for the security committee in the three states.

The agreement concerning the establishment of the gathering was signed by the end of December 2003 at a summit of the three countries in Ethiopia.