almotamar.net - It is scheduled that President Ali Abdullah Saleh is to pay a state visit to Belgium late this week. Yemen's Foreign Minister Dr Abubakr al-Qirbi said Saturday the president's visit to Brussels comes as part of his European tour the president is to begin this week and includes the Kingdom of Spain.

In a statement toseptember.net Dr al-Qirbi said the president would, during his visit to Brussels, meet on Wednesday and Thursday chairman of the European Union's Executive Commission Jose Maguel Baroso, President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union Javier Solana and European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner and a number of European and Belgian officials.

Dr al-Qirbi also pointed out that talks of the president with European officials would tackle the existing cooperation between Yemen and the European Union and what it offers to Yemen of support for development.

The Foreign Minister added that there is a European interest in supporting development in Yemen and the democratic action and that Yemen has excellent relations with the European Union and the EU countries.

He has also called the attention to the European Union's participation in observation of the Yemeni presidential and local elections held in last year September and its praising of them.