A Sign of the German Foreign Minister’s Visit Tomorrow Yemeni-German Relations Will Smoothly Sail Through Kidnapping Ordeal [Archives:1999/06/Front Page]

German Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Joschka Fischer arrives in Sanaa tomorrow, Tuesday 9th February, on a one-day official visit to Yemen. The visit is intended to further strengthen the strong and unique relations between the two countries.
This visit is expected to ensure that the latest kidnapping and violent incidents will not in any way affect the excellent relations between Yemen and Germany.
The German Foreign Minister will meet top ranking Yemeni officials including the Foreign Minister, Prime Minister, and the President to discuss matters of mutual interest. The Foreign Minister is also expected to discuss continued cooperation with Yemen in regards to the importance of the sustained commitment by the Sanaa authorities for democratization, press freedom, respect for human rights, and political pluralism.
Mr. Fischer, whose country now has the European presidency, is expected to bring up the present misunderstanding clouding UK-Yemeni relations. However, it is not clear how much deeper he will go into the issue.
The minister, who belongs to the Green Party, is also expected during his visit to emphasize on the need for responsible world policies in fighting pollution, refugees and drug-trafficking.
It is known that Germany is one of the top aid partners of the Republic of Yemen, donating an average annual aid package of over US$ 30 million. Besides its significant aid to Yemen, Germany is also a strong supporter of the democratic reforms Yemen has gone through in the last few years.
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