President attends 4th conference for Yemeni journalists

SANA'A, March 14 (Saba)-President Ali Abdullah Saleh attended on
Saturday the fourth conference for Yemeni journalists, which was
begin in Sana'a for three days under slogan" Defend for Rights of
Journalists and Press Freedom.

In the opening session of the conference, president Saleh said that
the conference would receive all support to sever issues of the
journalists in the country, asking journalists to be careful while
they publish news and get information from concerned sources to make
sure from credibility of the information.

President Saleh said that the media is a tool for building of the
nation and spreading culture of tolerance in the society, not to
spread abhorrence, division and regionalism.

He wondered about some calls for admitting so-called "south issue
and Saada issue", saying that such calls mean to return back of the
nation to age before 22 May 1990 and Saada issue means to return
nation back to Imam ruling.

In his speech, president Saleh announced dropping a punishment
against a journalist Abdul-Kareem al-Khiwani, asking him to be a
good journalist in the society and avoid regionalism and racism.

He asked the Ministry of Information to pace measures of issuing
permits for new newspapers in accordance with the law, and issue a
law of setting up space channels to work within framework of freedom
of expression.

He also ordered the prime minister to brief the journalists about
what is going in the cabinet through an official spokesman in a
press conference to be held after weekly meetings of the cabinet.

President Saleh concluded his speech by wishing success for the
conference and recommendations to serve the journalism.

For his part, the chief of journalists Nasr Taha Mustafa delivered a
speech, in which he welcomed president Saleh on behalf of
journalists, highlighting directives of the president to set up
Higher Council for Media and finalizing job calcification for media
personnel and journalists.

The Information Minister Hassan al-Lawzi supported in his speech the
general assembly of the syndicate to go ahead with discussion over
honor charter, reviewing achievements of the journalism in the
country.

For his part, the chairman of the international union for
journalists Jim Abu Malhim praised role of the Yemen Journalists
Syndicate to defend rights of its members, saying that the
journalism in Yemen is in safe hands as the syndicate is still
continuing its works.

He asked to carry out directives of president Saleh to drop sentence
against al-Khiwani, pointing out to the challenges facing
journalists over the world.

AH