Sanaa to cooperate with Paris on ship explosion issue
Yemen-France, Politics, 10/19/2002

The Yemeni prime minister Abdul Qader Bajmal has told his French counterpart Jan Pierre Ravaran on Friday Yemen's determination to cooperate with France in order to reach "positive results" in the investigation concerning the French oil tanker Limburg.

In a meeting which lasted for 45 minutes with Ravaran in Paris on Friday. Bajmal said "we totally agree on sending French investigators, either to Yemen or to another country. Terrorism is an international problem."

On October 6, the French oil tanker Limburg was exposed to an attack off the Yemeni coasts resulted in one killing and other 12 persons as wounded. Bajmal said "it is an attack against Yemen, against France and against peace. We agree on the need to cooperate with France in order to get all information and reaching positive results."

For his part, Ravaran expressed his satisfaction after his Yemeni counterpart had reviewed the results of the investigation concerning the attack. Ravaran said "in our view this is a very serious matter and we want to develop complete cooperation in which confidence prevails with the Yemeni authorities." He thanked Bajmal for this position "over all information given to the investigators." After France had sent French investigators on the eve of the attack on tanker Limburg, it is now preparing to send a judiciary investigation team within the few coming days at a decision of the terrorism fighting judge Jan Louis.

On Thursday, the World Bank announced during a meeting for the donor states in Paris that it has offered Yemen a financial aid at a cost of USD 2.3 million for fighting poverty and terrorism, in a step that came after Sanaa admitted that the explosion on board of " Limburg" was a terrorist act.

Bajmal announced before the donor states on Thursday that his country needs some USD 750 million to protect its territorial waters and ports from the terrorist acts.

Meantime, a Yemeni official said on Friday that the sailors of Limburg left Yemen for France in two shifts on Friday and Thursday.

Previous Stories:
  Aden - Abyan army claims responsibility for the French oil tanker explosion   (10/11/2002)
  Washington: the Fire in the French oil tanker off Yemeni coast is an accident   (10/8/2002)
  French oil tanker blown off Eastern coast of Yemen, 12 wounded, 13 missing   (10/7/2002)
  Yemeni president will visit Paris in October   (9/21/2000)
  Chief of staffs of the French army leaves Yemen   (10/21/1999)

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