President’s Visit to USA Postponed [Archives:2001/29/Front Page]

SANAA, July 14, Xinhua & agencies-President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s visit to the United States, scheduled for July, has been postponed until this Fall, said an informed Yemeni source on Saturday. The decision has been taken during a meeting between Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Abdullah al-Qirbi and U.S. Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns, who visited Sanaa last week.
Both sides have also agreed to work together to complete the ongoing probe of the blast of a U.S. Navy destroyer last October in a Yemeni port, he added. They have also agreed to bring the suspects of the explosion to trial in accordance with Yemeni laws. Yemeni Interior Minister Rashid al-Alimi said last week that holding the suspects in custody for so a long time, without their trial at the request of the U.S. side is counter to the Yemeni law.
On conclusion of his visit to Yemen, Mr William Burns held a press conference at Sana’a airport in which he responded to questions on various topics particularly concerning Yemeni-U.S. relations and developments in the Palestinian cause. Mr Burns confirmed that his talks with Yemeni officials emphasized ways of maintaining the U.S. supportive stand towards Yemen with regard to Yemeni interests, economic development and democratic reform. On American aspects of cooperation with Yemen, Burns has said the U.S. ambassador to Yemen has recently signed 30-million dollars worth four agreements for building schools and infrastructure projects, saying that his country would continue offering help to Yemen on economic development.
Washington has expressed appreciation for Yemeni efforts to complete the investigation into the causes of the blast and to guarantee the security of the U.S. embassy in Sanaa.

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