U.S. raises Yemen aid

SANA'A, Sep. 15 (Saba) - The United States has announced it is
increasing its aid for Yemen to $ 121 million, in a move that shows a specific change in mutual cooperation between the two countries.

Director of the Foreign Assistance Coordination Unit at the Ministry of Planning
and International Cooperation Nabil Ali Shaiban said the governments of both
countries had
finalized preparing and reviewing the framework of the US assistance for Yemen as a
prelude to sign an agreement on the aid over 2009-2011.
The US aid to be included in the agreement would be directed for technical and
financial projects at social sectors, specifically on education, health, economic
development,
democracy strengthening and wise governance.
Earlier, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace urged Washington to raise
the US aid for Yemen to enable the strategic country in the region to face major
obstacles
facing it.
A report by the foundation noted that it is in the interest of the United States to
indirectly contribute to improving the internal security of Yemen, with the US
giving
priority to the matter ahead of anti-terror partnership.
Development in Yemen has negatively been affected by security, the report said.
Researcher, who conducted the report after a recent visit to Yemen, said "Yemen is
an important state and challenges facing it require the international community to
find
immediate solutions for them.
For the Yemeni side's part, spokesman for Yemen's embassy in Washington Mohammed
Al-Basha said there is a concrete change in the US attitude towards increasing the
US aid
for Yemen, pointing to an Obama recent letter to Saleh.
FR