almotamar-net - President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced on Wednesday Yemen readiness to offer any assistance for reducing
tensions betweenEthiopia and Eritrea in order to serve security and stability in the region.In opening session of Sana'a Forum for
Cooperation summit, being heldin Aden, president Saleh called the two neighboring countries, Ethiopian and Eritrea, to hold bilateral talks to settle their disputes in orderto avoid any clash between them. He also confirmed Yemen support for the current Somali
government whichintends to build a state of institutions.
Regarding current situations in Palestine and Iraq, president Saleh said that the depressed developments in Palestine require the
interference of the international community in order to practice pressure on Israelto stop its aggressions against the unarmed Palestinian people and toget it implement the international
resolutions which call for establishingthe independent Palestinian state and for realizing a fair peace in the region.
He expressed his hope that the occupation forces will pull out from Iraq soon to allow all Iraqi functions take part in building the new democratic independent Iraq.
He wished that the forum would open wide horizons of cooperation the to serve the common interests of the member states, pointing out to
theimportance of pacing measures of setting up a free trade among the countries of the forum to promote economic cooperation and investments among them.
He affirmed that the forum is open for any country wants to join it.
In the opening session, the Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir called other countries to join the forum to serve security, economic,
political, development and stability in the African horn and south of the Red Sea. He confirmed that the peace agreement in Sudan has put an end for war in the south of Sudan , saying that the agreement implementation is going on in agood manner as the National Party and Popular Movement are working hard to carry out articles of the agreement perfectly.
He added that the government of Sudan reached an agreement with the National Gathering of the opposition, saying that negotiations over Darfur region are progressing day by day under the sponsorship of the African Union.
He indicated that the previous period witnessed exchanging visits amongthe officials of Sana'a
Forum to coordinate their political and diplomatic position on the regional and international levels.
He said that the security committee held a number of meetings and exchanged information to prevail stability and security in the region
as well asfighting terror.
The Sudanese president also pointed out to the positive increase in volume of the trade exchange among the member states of the bloc. He expected that the summit will come out with signing a set of cooperation agreements such as the agreement of establishing free trade zones in the region. Prime Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi said in his speech that the forumis formed newly, but it managed to create good cooperation among the member states specially in the security, economic, political and cultural fields.He pointed out to the key goal of the forum is to realize peace and security
in the African Horn and South of Red Sea, considering that peace would support efforts of development inside the member states.
He considered the agreement of peace in Sudan would open a new page in this African country and in the region in general. He called on
continuing efforts that support peace and stability in the region to achieve more development in the member states countries.
The Somali president Abdullah Sheik Ahmed said that the Somalia needs for support to realize peace and security as the security of Somalia
associatedwith stability in the region.
He said that the achievement of security requires strong capabilities to settle any disorder situation in the country, calling for support and aid of the forum countries to realize that.
Then, the leaders of the forum were held a closed session in which they discussed issues of the summit's agenda and means of enhancing
join cooperationbetween countries of the forum.
They also discussed the latest developments in the region, especially in Iraq and Palestine as well as international efforts in fighting
terror.