Sanaa - Riyadh tighten border control measures
Yemen-Saudi Arabia, Politics, 3/4/2004

Yemeni and Saudi Arabia's military officials announced they had agreed to form two field committees to study measures necessary to ensure tightened control of border between the two states.

Member of the Yemeni delegation who asked to be unanimous said the two committees will submit their reports to another meeting for the joint military committee shortly.

For its part, the Saudi news agency said that talks between the two countries were overwhelmed by the spirit of understanding and cooperation, and explained that during the meetings discussions dealt with grounds and arrangements according to which work teams will be formed to make a field survey through which best means will be defined to prevent sneaking and smuggling in all its kind along the border area between the two states.

The joint higher committee concluded its meetings on Wednesday in Najran near the borders between the two countries chaired by the army chief of staff in Yemen, Lt. Gen. Muhammad bin Ali al-Qasimi, and his Saudi counterpart, Lt. Gen Saleh Bin Ali al-Mahya, and lasted for two days.

Sanaa had accused Riyadh of building a border barrier that it said chopped part of the joint lands dedicated for grazing, according to Jeddah agreement, and violates the border demarcation agreement signed in June 2000.

The dispute over building this barrier was behind the visit paid by the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the mid of February to Riyadh during which Saudi Arabia agreed to stop building the barrier for strengthening cooperation against acts of smuggling and sneaking via borders.

However, Saudi sources said the authorities will not remove what it had built of sites and installations on its borders with Yemen.

Previous Stories:
  Saudi Arabia, Yemen end border disputes; Abdullah, Saleh: the two states security is integrated   (2/18/2004)
  Riyadh, Sanaa discuss settling border differences   (2/17/2004)
  Saleh visits Riyadh to discuss border issues   (2/16/2004)

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