At the End of a Yemen Times Debate on Yemeni-Saudi Relations: Call to Stop Border Talks with Saudi Arabia [Archives:1998/31/Front Page]

  RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recognizing that Saudi Arabia is Yemen’s most important neighbor;
Fully aware that an agreement between Yemen and Saudi Arabia must cover all issues beyond the border dispute in order to achieve meaningful bilateral cooperation and regional stability;
We issue the following recommendations:
1) We call on the Yemeni government to temporarily suspend all border talks with Saudi Arabia, until it achieves equitable bargaining conditions.
2) We call on the Yemeni government to work out clear objectives and goals for its negotiations.
3) We urge the Yemeni government to include in its official negotiating teams experts and professionals.
4) We advise the government to regularly obtain feedback from the Yemeni public.
5) We declare that no agreement with Saudi Arabia is final until approved by parliament and a referendum.
6) We demand the Yemeni authorities to provide full information on the progress of the negotiations with Saudi Arabia.
7) We pledge to organize future meetings and seminars between Yemeni and Saudi intellectuals as confidence measures, and to bridge any gaps and misunderstanding.  
“We call on the Yemeni government to temporarily suspend all border talks with Saudi Arabia, until it achieves equitable bargaining conditions.” That was the first of seven recommendations issued following an intensive debate sponsored/organized by Yemen Times in Sanaa on Thursday, July 30th, 1998.
Some seventy leading political scientists, lawyers, journalists, politicians, and other intellectuals participated in the meeting which was chaired by Dr. Mohammed Al-Qubati. Four keynote speakers made presentations.
Abdul-Malik Al-Mikhlafi, Secretary-General of the Nasserite Unionist Party, talked about “What Yemen Wants to Achieve in the Talks”. Dr. Khadeejah Al-Haisamy, Lecturer of International Political Relations at the Political Science Department, author of a book on the border dispute, talked about “What Saudi Arabia Wants in the Talks”.
Dr. Ahmed A-Kibsi, Chairman of the Association of Political Scientists, and Professor of Systems of Government at Sanaa University, talked about “Possible Scenarios in the Future of the Region”.
Mohammed Hussain Al-Farih, Member of the Association of Arab Historians, talked about “The Meaning of Historic Rights for Yemen”.
After 3 hours of extensive debate, the intellectuals issued a 7-point recommendation (as shown in the box), which the authorities said are considering.
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