AlmotaMAR.NET, sABA - President Ali Abdullah Saleh reaffirmed that the upcoming 4th parliamentary elections in Yemen are t be held in the fixed date on 27 April 2009. he also stressed that any postponement would harm the democratic process and leads to the creation of a crisis similar to that of the war and secession in the years 1993-�94 that was concocted by those who started it to instigate sedition and damage the homeland and its unity as well as its democratic approach.

The President�s remarks on elections came during his meeting on Saturday the in Sana�a the British Minister for International Development Mike Foster, currently on a visit to Yemen.

President Saleh praised the high-level of cooperation between the two countries and the British role during the donor conference held in London to support the development and democracy in Yemen.

For his part, the British Minister affirmed his country's keenness on expanding areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Regarding the ongoing situation in Gaza, President Saleh affirmed the significant role Britain and the European Union might play to exert pressure on Israel to carry out the resolutions of international legitimacy and to open the crossings as well as ending the siege imposed on the Palestinian people in Gaza.

The Israeli leaders, who committed the barbaric crimes and massacres against the Palestinians, must be brought to the International justice, the president added.

Moreover, the meeting discussed the ten-year development cooperation agreement signed between Yemen and Britain.

The meeting discussed bilateral relations and joint cooperation between the two countries as well as the assistance offered by Britain for the development process in the country.

Worth to mention is that UK raised its development assistance to Yemen to � 50 million annually. It also extended a gift of $ 2 million for the reconstruction of Saada province.

Saba