Yemen said seeking to mediate Sudan, Eritrea

OMURMAN, Dec 20, 2004 (Sudanese Radio) — The Yemeni government has come up with an initiative to mediate between Sudan and Eritrea.

Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail said the Yemeni government has said it would convey to the Eritrean side this initiative in an effort to do away with obstacles and normalize ties between the two neighbouring countries.

The foreign minister welcomed the Yemeni initiative saying Sudan would like to have normal relations with Eritrea.

He further said Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Salih, who will be visiting Khartoum next week, will present to the government details of his talks with the Eritrean president over the matter.

Material from the BBC Monitoring Service.