almotamar.net - President Ali Abdullah Saleh received on Thursday the visiting French minister of development and cooperation Brigette Geraldin who conveyed to the Yemeni p[president a message from the French president Jacques Chirac dealing with bilateral relations and areas of common cooperation. In his message president Chirac praised what Yemen; under president Saleh has pursued modernity and development. The message also indicated to the latest elections during which the Yemeni people renewed their trust in president Saleh and that proved Yemen's sticking to democracy principles.

The message also mentioned about the reforms Yemen has achieved at economic and social levels and that made it deserves support by donor countries in their London conference of last November and confirmed France's keenness to strengthen its efforts in favour of Yemen and its increase of assistance for the support of the march of development and democracy in Yemen. The message also dealt with many issues and developments regionally and internationally.

Areas of cooperation and means for consolidating them were discussed in the meeting where the French minister pointed to efforts of reforms, the democratic approach and the woman participation and referred to the many opportunities allowed for the Yemeni woman to take part in the political life and said that enhances Yemen position in the region. She emphasized France's willingness to increase its support for Yemen's development and democracy. She has also mentioned about the French-Yemeni partnership protocol signed in Yemen that raised the amount of French assistance to $ 150 million in the upcoming years. She expressed desire of French companies for investment in Yemen, adding that the project of exporting the natural gas being implemented with participation of the French company of TOTAL enhances the existing partnership between the two countries and opens wider areas of cooperation.

President Saleh praised the relations between the two countries describing them as distinguished relations of friendship and cooperation and expressed Yemen's appreciation of the French support for development and democracy in Yemen. The president asked the minister to convey his greetings to president Chirac and his wishes for good health and ever prosperity for the French people.

The meeting was attended by the Shoura Council chairman Abdul;aziz Abdulghani, the minister of planning and international cooperation Abdulkarimn al-Arhabi, Hisham Sharif the undersecretary of the ministry, Amir al-Aidarous the Yemeni ambassador to France and the French ambassador to Yemen.