“Forum for Future” convention canceled for ambiguous reasons [Archives:2008/1124/Local News]

SANA'A, Jan 25 ) The Yemeni Government declared on Thursday that it will not hold “The Forum for the Future” in Sana'a, a convention scheduled for the end of December, 2007.

A foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday that Yemen decided to excuse itself from hosting the fourth Forum of the Future “…because it has not received a commitment from the Group of Eight on a new date.”

He indicated that a ministerial meeting concerning the forum was postponed pursuant to a request from some of the G-8 states provided it would be held at a new date to be agreed on by Yemen.

He explained that that the transition of the G-8 presidency from Germany to Japan created a new problem concerning the joint presidency with Yemen. However an Agency French press AFP reporter quoted a western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, that the real reason was because of “security concerns””.

The diplomat pointed out that the American administration is also unhappy with the Yemeni authorities for releasing Jamal al-Badawi