Once, and for all, Border Dispute Over! [Archives:2000/26/Front Page]

After being reviewed by the government and the consultative council, the Yemeni-Saudi border treaty was finally approved by the Parliament on Saturday, June 24. Hence it has become an official and binding document to determine the official and permanent land and marine borders between the two countries.
The actual articles of the treaty, and the official map based on it, were released officially to the press. “The treaty is a victory for the common determination and faithful desire of the two leaderships to strengthen the ties of brotherhood and cooperation.” President Saleh said in the last cabinet meeting that reviewed, and approved the treaty.
According to the treaty, Yemen has regained more than 35,000 sq. kms of land. The treaty includes five major articles and four annexes signed on 12 June 2000 by Mr Abdul Qader Bajammal, deputy premier, the foreign minister for Yemen and prince Sad Al-Faisal, the foreign minister for the Saudi side.
The first article of the treaty stipulated as mandatory and legal, the Taif pact of 1934 and memorandum of understanding between the two countries of 1995. The second article defines the final and permanent dividing line of the borders between the two countries composed of two parts: The first begins at the coastal mark on the Red Sea and ends at Tha’r mountain sign. The treaty stipulated on delineating the second part in a friendly manner. It begins from Tha’r mountain at the junction point of parallel 19 north with longitude 25 east. The treaty has also defined coordinates of the sea borders. An international specialized firm will prepare detailed maps of land borders to be adopted by the two parties and be part of the treaty.
The fourth article provided the commitment to the fifth article of the Taif pact concerning the evacuation of any military position stationed at a distance less than 5 kilometers along the borderline demarcated according to the Taif Treaty. As for the borderline that starts from Tha’r mountain, it is not permissible, according to the treaty, for any of the contracting parties to mass up armed forces at distances less than 20 kilometers on both sides. Their activity is confined to running mobile patrols with ordinary weapons. Annex four comprises seven articles, regulating pasture rights, defining stationing of armed forces on both sides of the borderline and exploitation of common natural wealth along the land borderline. The first annex contained geographic coordinates of signs’ positions as stipulated in the borders’ reports annexed to the Taif Treaty of 1934. Annex two includes details of the land borders and annex three consists of details of sea borders between the two countries.
Full Text of the Treaty here


Reactions to the Treaty on Interviews Page




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