Saudi- Yemeni border dispute may be headed for international arbitration
Yemen-Saudi Arabia, Politics, 11/20/1998

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh received a message on Thursday from Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz on bilateral relations between the two countries and issues of mutual concern.

In a statement to the United Arab Emirates al-Khaleej daily, Yemeni prime Minister Abdul Karim al-Iryani welcomed proposals made by Crown Prince Abdullah concerning border issues between the two countries.

The Saudi crown prince has recently announced that his country does not oppose resorting to international arbitration to settle the border disputes between the two countries. Al-Iryani added, "If the crisis cannot be sorted out amicably, arbitration can settle the issue."

Since 1995, the two countries have been holding discussions to demarcate their joint borders. Land borders between the two countries are not completely demarcated, whereas the sea frontiers are not demarcated at all.

On Thursday, Yemen announced that international arbitration "may be the sole way to settle a decade of border disputes with Saudi Arabia."

Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdul Qader Bajmal was quoted as saying to September 26 paper, the mouthpiece of the Yemeni Army, in its recent weekly edition, "Many complexities are impeding the process of settling this issue. What we have so far achieved during tens of sessions of negotiations between the two countries is not that big."

He continued, "If matters would proceed so, I think arbitration is the only solution."

Previous Stories:
  Ali Saleh phones Saudi crown prince   (11/9/1998)
  Meeting of Saudi - Yemeni joint committee on border problem   (9/8/1998)
  Saudi Arabia, Yemen to reactivate security cooperation   (8/25/1998)

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