Yemeni-Saudi Coordination Council in the balance [Archives:2002/26/Focus]

MOHAMMED BIN SALLAM
The Yemeni-Saudi Coordination Council (YSCC) concluded its 14th session in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia two weeks ago. The Yemeni side was headed by the Prime Minister Abdulqader Bajammal, accompanied by a delegation of 14 ministers, while the Saudi side was headed by Prince Sultan Bin Abdul-Aziz, second deputy Prime Minister and the general inspector.
In the end of the 4th session, a final statement was announced. Some observers described the agreements which the two sides agreed upon as most of them were Saudi demands rather than Yemeni while the rest seemed secondary and never showed a qualification in mutual interests. Moreover, they didnt refer to any seriousness by brother Saudis to develop investment in Yemen. The Yemeni delegation came back with loans of $156 million. But Saudi Arabia didnt support investment in Yemen as was expected.
Lets discuss three sides of the agreement (political, educational, and trade exchange). At the political level, the statement showed that the two countries expressed their welcoming views about Yemenis joining some establishments in the GCC without referring to the steps to complete other establishments to the GCC to achieve a complete membership in the GCC.
As for the educational side, the two delegations expressed their comfort about (including) schoolbooks and curricula in both countries and that focused on exporting Saudi educational concepts and ideologies to Yemen as a present Saudi strategy in all agreements and personal or official meetings. That is the main point which higher YSCC achieved since the beginning.
On discussing facilities offered to Yemeni expatriates sons towards university education, the Saudi delegation declared that Saudi schools graduate more than (150,000) students, while Saudi universities capacity is (100,000) students. So, the Saudis, themselves, suffer from the very problem. But the Saudi side agreed to adopt the principle of priority for gifted Yemeni students according to scholarships offered. As for pre-university students in KSA the problem is worse, the Saudi side refused in principle accepting them for free education and facilitate their enrollment in Saudi schools.
There was a heated debate concerning trade exchange and Yemeni labor and the two sides did not reach an agreement about it.
Yemeni Planning Minister had to use a sharp tone while talking with the Saudi side on questions of Yemeni labor and expatriates. He demanded the Saudi side to implement all previous agreements, signed tens of years ago and according to Taif Agreement and those that followed it, requesting to treat Yemeni expatriates with a special manner, i.e. as it was previously. About unifying foodstuff and industries specifications, Yemeni Prime Minister focused on unification at foodstuff and industries specifications, in general, so that to be identical with those of Gulf countries.
He considered it a forward step paving the way for Yemen to join the GCC. But the Yemeni initiative was not welcomed and paid attention. Even when the Yemeni industry minister demanded to facilitate measures of importing Yemeni vegetables and fruits into Saudi Arabia without insisting on providing refrigerator trucks, he was strongly opposed under pretext that Jordanians, Syrians and Egyptians bring their products by their own refrigerator trucks. Yemenis should meet the same conditions. The Yemeni argument did refuted the reasons that prevent implementation of such a condition due to shortness of distance between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and farms in both countries are rather interpenetrated. Again such evidence didnt succeed to persuade the Saudi party, therefore, Yemeni Prime Minister had to stop talking about that question and shifted to another topic.
As a conclusion, the Yemeni delegation came out with a conviction that agreeing on offering loans, offering some facilities to Yemeni expatriates, need instructions by Prince Abdullah Bin Abul-Aziz directly instead of wasting time (with officials of lower degrees having no power of taking decisions, as most of the Saudi delegation were not ministers but rather undersecretaries and lower in rank. That embarrassed the Yemeni delegation because Yemeni side included (14) ministers and higher ranks.
Before closing: it was realized that though the Yemeni side was a higher in level but talks were lower than needed. Sharp discussions took place and the Saudi side didnt show flexibility, especially regarding loans, facilities to Yemeni labor to enter Saudi Arabia and transporting Yemeni cargoes through borders. Saudi side canceled main items on talks agenda such as economic, political and educational facilities under pretext that Saudi Arabia is heavily owed in debts. Such were $164 billion, which were very difficult to pay. Results of the 14th session were as follows:
Security facilities served the Saudi side.
Facilities to technician expatriates mainly served Saudi side.
Yemeni gifted expatriate students are to be given priority in obtaining university scholarships in KSA to those nominated in small groups ho mainly come through nepotism.

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