almotamar.net - Yemen's Deputy Premier, the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdulkarim al-Arhabi and the British ambassador to Yemen Tim Torlot signed on Wednesday criteria of watching the first year for arrangements of development partnership signed between Yemen and the United Kingdom in August 2007.

A press statement released by the British embassy in Sana'a said the British and the Dutch ambassadors to Sana'a have also signed a memorandum of understanding officially organises for the first time in Yemen a programme of joint work between the UK and the Dutch embassy to enhance their joint capabilities for tackling challenges of development in Yemen.

The first joint programme included in the memorandum aims at the two sectors of health care for maternity and newly-born children.

Deputy Premier al-Arhabi praised the pioneering role of the Dutch and British embassies through these initiatives and called the rest of donors to work for offering long-term pledges through joint work agreements in order to increase effectiveness of Yemen donors support.

The Yemeni minister of planning and international cooperation had in August 2007 signed with the British minister of international development Shahid Malik arrangements of a partnership agreement, considered the 7th of its kind the United Kingdom signs it in the world and the first in the Middle East.