Riyadh, Sanaa discuss settling border differences
Saudi Arabia-Yemen, Politics, 2/17/2004

Saudi Arabian officials announced yesterday that the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh will hold talks with the Saudi crown prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz today in Riyadh in an attempt to solve the differences over a barrier built by Saudi Arabia on the border between the two states.

The two sides concluded last week talks in Riyadh to solve the differences over the building of the barrier without issuing an official announcement over results of the talks. The two governments played down the difference over which they say they want to settle amicably.

Saudi Arabia which fights a wave of violence, blamed on al-Qaida organization, led by Osama Bin Laden, says that the barrier will limit the sneaking of activists and weapons through the borders with Yemen.

However, Arab diplomats indicated that Yemen sees the barrier as a violation to an agreement signed between the two states in 2000 in order to end a long lasting border dispute. The agreement states to found a grazing area at a length of 20 Km on the two sides of the border and not to allow on this area any barracks available for use by military forces.

In its recent issue editorial, the Yemeni "September 26" weekly said that it is the right of the Saudis to take all measures they consider suitable to protect their borders and security and to found such fence as long as it is out of the area set in the agreement.

Chairman of the Saudi border guards, Talal Anqawi, said last week that the barrier which he described as an iron pipeline installed on Saudi territory but did not specify its location.

Previous Stories:
  Saleh visits Riyadh to discuss border issues   (2/16/2004)
  Saudi- Yemeni talks concluded over border cement barrier   (2/12/2004)
  Yemen rejects Riyadh building of a wall on its borders   (2/2/2004)

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