26_September [Archives:2008/1126/Press Review]

Thursday, January 31
Top Stories

– Belgian General Tourism Department thanks Yemen's Military Hospital staff for providing incomparable medical care for injured tourists

– Civil Service Ministry drops 31 multi-post employees from government payrolls

– Yemen to host meetings of Arab financial institutions

– Prime Minister concludes successful visit to Qatar

– European states praises democracy, respect for human rights and women's political participation in Yemen

Many European states and leaders praised the unique democratic development, respect for human rights and policies to boost women's political participation in Yemen, the weekly reported. This came during President Ali Abdullah Saleh's official visits to Spain and Belgium. In Brussels, President Saleh was received by deputy chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in European Parliament Baroness Emma Nicholson, who came to Yemen during the 2006 presidential and local council elections as EU Election Observation Mission Chief Observer.

According to the weekly, both sides discussed various fields of mutual cooperation between Yemen and the European Parliament as well as the EU support for Yemen's democratic and political development.

The European official said she is amazed by democracy in Yemen, pointing out the advanced steps in Yemen in terms of freedom of expression, women participation and human rights as well as democracy. Saleh and some European officials discussed European-Yemeni ties and efforts to close Guantanamo detention. Saleh renewed Yemen's call to close the detention and hand over Yemeni detainees to their government, adding that the detention's policies contravene principles of human rights and democracy of United States.
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