Yemeni vice president visits China, Pakistan

The Yemeni official news agency said on Wednesday that Yemeni Vice President Abd Rabbou Mansour Hadi started on Wednesday a tour which will cover China and Pakistan in order to strengthen economic cooperation between Yemen and each of the two countries.

In press statements before leaving Sanaa heading for Beijing, the Yemeni vice president said his visit "aims, in the first place, to crystallize a series of agreements and cooperation between the two friendly countries and to translate them into actual realities."

Hadi, who will be welcomed by Chinese President Jiang Zemin, added that his country hopes that Beijing will play a role in investments in Yemen in the areas of energy and industry.

Yemen's oil reserves are estimated at more than 3.2 billion barrels, and natural gas, which is not explored yet, reserves are estimated at 479 billion cubic meters.

Sanaa seeks new markets for exports to launch a project to transport liquid gas and also to increase its oil production to 500,000 barrels every day in the year 2000 against the present daily production of 400,000.

In 1995, Yemen, which suffers from a recession in oil revenues, is implementing an economic reform program according to recommendations set by the IMF and pledged to encourage foreign investment.

In Pakistan, the Yemeni vice president will hold talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on means of encouraging joint investments.