Almotamar Net - Yemen and Japan expressed in a joint statement Tuesday
their desire to develop bilateral relations in different fields.

Japanese Prime Minister Jyunichiro Koizumi expressed his support for Yemen's
successful and continuous efforts in the fight against terrorism in collaboration
with the international community.

The two countries also expressed strong hope that further progress would
be made in the Middle East peace process, calling upon the international
community to encourage the Israelis and the Palestinians to make greater
efforts towards achieving a lasting peace.

They welcomed the approval of the draft constitution of Iraq in the recent
national referendum.

Yemen voiced its support for Japan's permanent membership in the Security
Council, saying the two countries shared the view that comprehensive reform
of the United Nations (UN) is important for the UN to address the new
conditions of the 21st century.

Below, you could read full text of the statement:

His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of the Republic of Yemen,
visited Japan from November 6 to 8, 2005, at the invitation of the Government
of Japan.

This was the second visit of the President as the head of State of Yemen,
which follows his first visit as a guest of the Government of Japan in
March, 1999, and was a good occasion to further deepen and develop the
amicable relations between the two countries.

On November 7, President Saleh made a state call on His Majesty The Emperor.
President Saleh also held a meeting with Speaker of the House of Representatives
Mr. Yohei Kono.

On the same day, President Saleh and Prime Minister Mr. Jyunichiro Koizumi
held talks and discussed a variety of issues ranging from bilateral relations
to regional and international affairs.

President Saleh also met members of the Japanese Parliament, the President
of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and others.

At all the meetings, both the Yemeni and Japanese sides confirmed their
willingness to further develop the friendly and cooperative relationship
between both the two countries and the peoples.

At the summit talks, both sides reaffirmed that the stability of Yemen
is critical to the stability of the Arabian Peninsula.

Both sides confirmed their commitment not only to strengthen the relations
in the traditional forms of cooperation but also to share information
and closely cooperate in such areas as poverty reduction, democratization
and prevention of terror, with the support of the international community
to eradicate poverty according as the Millennium Summit Declaration of
2000.

Both sides expressed their strong hope that further progress would be
made in the Middle East peace process and called upon the international
community to strengthen its political and economic support for the advancement
of the process and encouraged the Israelis and the Palestinians to make
greater efforts towards achieving a lasting peace.

The Yemeni side highly appreciated the involvement of Japan in the advancement
of the Middle East peace process and, in particular, Japan's assistance
to the Palestinians.
Both sides welcomed the approval of the draft constitution of Iraq in
the recent national referendum, as it represents a very significant step
in the development of the Iraq's political process, and expressed their
hope that this political process will lead to stable and united Iraq in
which all Iraqis of different religious and ethnic groups live in peace.


The Yemeni side highly appreciated Japan's humanitarian assistance to
Iraq and reconstruction assistance by the Self Defense Forces and Official
Development Assistance (ODA).

Both sides shared the view that comprehensive reform of the United Nations
(UN) is important for the UN to address the new conditions of the 21st
century. And both sides affirmed to cooperate toward realizing the reform
of the UN including the Security Council during the current session of
the General Assembly, recognizing that early reform of the Security Council
is an essential element of the overall effort to reform the UN.

President Saleh renewed Yemen's support for Japan's permanent membership
in the Security Council. Prime Minister Koizumi expressed deep gratitude
for the support.
Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his support for Yemen's successful and
continuous efforts in the fight against terrorism in collaboration with
the international community.

Both sides shared the view that Yemen's efforts to accelerate its poverty
reduction program and democratization will lead to the eradication of
the safe haven of terror and to the prevention of terrorism.

To that end, the Japanese side expressed its readiness to extend assistance
to achieve these goals.
Yemen welcomed Japan's decision to continue the fight against terrorism
through activities based upon the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law.

Both sides confirmed that non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction
(WMD) and their delivery means is essential for the peace and stability
of both the Middle Eastern and East Asian regions and the entire world.
Prime Minister Koizumi highly applauded Yemen's policies on economic reforms
and democratization under the leadership of President Saleh. The Japanese
side expressed its support to these efforts, and expressed its hope that
Yemen's economic reforms will improve the living standard of its people.


The Japanese side recognizes the importance of basic education, rural
water supply and health services and has proactively extended assistance
to these sectors in Yemen, through its ODA utilizing such schemes as Non-Project
Grant Aid and Grant Aid for Increase of Food Production (2KR).

The Japanese side expressed its readiness to further support Yemen's efforts
in these sectors.
In this connection, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will
undertake a development study to formulate a project for rural water supply
to cover designated areas in five governorates of Yemen and to improve
the capacities of the local water supply authorities. JICA will also enlarge
Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) dispatch program which was
resumed last July.

Furthermore, in view of the presidential election and local council elections
which will be held nationwide in 2006, the Japanese side has expressed
its readiness to consider assistance to the government of Yemen to further
accelerate the democratization process in Yemen.

The Japanese side also expressed its intention to consolidate the concept
of human security in Yemen, a concept which Japan takes the initiative
to promote to the entire world. The Japanese side stated that it has decided
to extend assistance toward the Yemen Executive Mine Action Center (YEMAC)
to support the activities for clearance of land mines.

While expressing deep appreciation for Japan's assistances to Yemen to
date, including debt relief, the Yemeni side explained the economic and
social challenges which the country is facing as a result of the reforms
made by the government of Yemen and asked for increased support from Japan.

Taking into consideration the aforementioned request from the Yemeni side,
both sides decided to hold a policy consultation on economic cooperation
around the first half of 2006 in Sana'a, in order to exchange views on
Japan's medium term aid policy toward Yemen as well as Yemen's needs in
the fields of democratization and preventive measures of terror.

In light of the level of ODA Japan has extended to Yemen, the Yemeni side
expressed its wish that Japan would substantially increase ODA as well
as to resume Yen loan to finance infrastructure projects.

Both sides referred to the importance of further promoting cultural and
people-to-people exchanges, and welcomed the participation of Yemeni officials
in the Japanese Language Program offered by the Government of Japan. Both
sides also welcomed the increased popularity of Yemen among Japanese people
as a result of Yemen's participation in World Exposition 2005 in Aichi
Prefecture as well as a documentary TV program in Japan on World Cultural
Heritage of Yemen and other activities.
President Saleh expressed its gratitude to the Japanese side for its hospitality
and extended an invitation to Prime Minister Koizumi to visit the Republic
of Yemen. Prime Minister Koizumi accepted this and expressed his gratitude
for the invitation.