Almotamar.net - President Ali Abdullah Saleh left Sunday Sana'a en route to Washington on a state visit to the United States of America in response to an invitation extended to him from the US president George Bush.

Both the Yemeni and American presidents are to gold talks dealing with ways of consolidating bilateral relations and areas of cooperation between the two countries and the existing partnership between them.

The two presidents are also scheduled to discuss regional and international developments of common interest especially the situations in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Darfur, and Somalia as well as the Arab initiative for peace and efforts on fighting terror.

The president is accompanied in his visit by deputy premier for economic affairs, the minister of planning and international cooperation Abdulkarim al-Arhabi, the foreign minister Dr Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, the presidency secretary general Abdullah Hussein al-Bashiri, advisor to the commander in chief of the armed forces Brigadier Mohammed Ali al-Qassimi, deputy head of the central apparatus of political security brigadier Ali Mansour Rashid and a number of Yemeni officials.