YEMEN SUSTAINS BIG LOSSES DUE TO TERROR: SENIOR YEMENI OFFICIAL

LONDON, Jan. 27 (Saba) - Yemen has sustained big losses in many
vital sectors, especially investment and tourism resulted by
terrorist acts, Prime Minster Ali Mujawar said on Wednesday.

In a speech delivered in the London Meeting on Yemen, Mujawar talked
about the terrorist and sabotage acts either of the al-Houthi
rebellion in the northern governorate of Sa'ada or of the separatist
elements in some southern governorates.

"All saboteurs agree on one goal which is destabilizing Yemen,
shaking its security", Mujawar said, adding that they waste the
government's efforts and potentials.

The Premier made reference to one of the most significant challenges
facing Yemen, which is the sea piracy and refugees' influx from
Somalia and Horn of Africa countries, saying around 800,000 refugees
are living in Yemen causing economic, security and social burdens.

Speaking on the government's efforts that will continue to combat
terror, Mujawar revealed a comprehensive system Yemen has set forth
to eliminating terror including a complete system of legislations
and the ratification of combating money laundry and terror financing
law as well as the enhancement of coordination with security
brotherly and friendly countries.

Yemen and international partners are required to realize the
developed technology terrorists adopt to overcome governments'
capabilities.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed Yemen's commitment to continue
political, economic, and social reforms to insure the achievement of
stability and prosperity for our people.

Mujawar asserted that the basic problem Yemen is suffering from is
essentially an economic one, talking about the government's efforts
to tackle the population, educational, energy, water and food
security difficulties.

After counting the Yemeni achievements in areas of poetical reforms,
democracy and media, society and human rights, Mujawar refused
considering Yemen as a falling state or on its way to be.

The Premier talked about a conference to be held in Riyadh in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following this meeting to discuss issues
related to financing development needs.

The full speech of the Prime Minister Ali Mujawar in the London
Meeting on Yemen is below:


In the Name of God the Most Merciful and Most Compassionate

Your Excellency Mr. Gordon Brown
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Your Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen


On behalf of the Yemeni government and people, I would like to thank
you for your care and support for our country. We highly appreciate
the call of His Excellency Jordon Brown the Prime Minister of the
friendly government of Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom
to hold and host this meeting to discuss ways of assisting Yemen,
combating extremism and terrorism and helping it face development
challenges.

We highly appreciate the positive response of the international
partners represented in this meeting and their keenness on the
security, stability and unity of Yemen, enhancing its efforts to
fight terrorism and solving its development and security challenges
since a strong and stable Yemen serves the security and stability in
the region and the world.


Ladies and Gentlemen

There is no doubt that Yemen is suffering from many challenges that
occurred coincidently in one time, which led to the waste of
government's efforts and potentials, while facing those challenges
and caused a big damage to its economy and development efforts. On
top of those challenges are terrorist acts.

Terrorism is a dangerous plague that exceeds countries and
boundaries and target values of freedom, democracy and peace. More
than other countries, the Republic of Yemen is one of the first
countries that suffered from terror. Terror has negatively affected
different security, political, economic and social fields. Yemen has
sustained big losses in many vital sectors especially investment and
tourism as well as material damages and human causalities resulted
by terrorist acts.

In addition, there are many challenges namely terrorist acts of the
rebellious elements in the governorate of Sa'ada and acts of
violence and sabotage by separatist elements in some southern
governorates. All of those acts violate the constitution, law and
order and all saboteurs agree on one goal which is destabilizing
Yemen, shaking its security and spreading out acts of violence and
chaos exploiting atmospheres of democracy which has negatively
affected the economic situation.

It is no doubt that poverty and unemployment are important reasons
behind misleading youths to carry out acts of violence and terror.

Sea piracy and refugees influx from Somalia and Horn of Africa
countries represent one of the most significant challenges facing
Yemen. The number of refugees from that region and living in Yemen
reached around eight hundred thousand a matter that leads to an
economic, security and social burden.


Ladies and Gentlemen

The Republic of Yemen is fully aware of challenges it is currently
facing, therefore, it carries out its duties and commitments in the
fight against terror and cements its partnership with the
international community in this area and considers this as a
strategic priority which is based on the awareness of the threat
terrorism creates first on its existence and second on the stability
of the region and the globe.

Yemen has waged a multilateral battle at the security, economic,
intellectual and media fronts. This battle requires consolidation of
efforts to support and assist Yemen helping it to overcome impacts
and consequences resulted by terrorism. Efforts to combat terror
will continue not only in security and military but at all fronts
and fields.

Yemen has set forth a comprehensive system that guarantees
eliminating terror and drying up its sources. This was reflected in
a complete system of legislations and the ratification of combating
money laundry and terror financing law as well as the enhancement of
coordination and cooperation with security apparatuses in brotherly
and friendly countries including joint operations and exchange of
information on terrorists and mutual extradition of wanted elements
involved in terrorist issues and in accordance with agreements
signed with those countries.

Concerned authorities in our country protect commercial and oil
ports and carry out necessary security measures and strict
precautions at land, sea and air entrance and exist points. A modern
monitoring system has been applied at arrival and departure areas.

You have surely followed up the recent accomplishments achieved by
the Yemeni security and military apparatuses which have been able to
direct effective and painful blows against this terrorist
organization. These successes would not have been achieved without a
strong national will to fight terrorism and excellent security
cooperation between Yemen and its regional and international
partners.

During those confrontations we have not neglected the information,
cultural and intellectual role as we have adopted a media and
cultural plan to help facing terror. The plan was based on
explaining the huge damages resulted by terrorist acts that threaten
the security and safety of every one and correcting as well the
wrong conceptions of the misled youths.

More than any time in the past, we and our partners are in need
today to realize that terrorists always develop their material and
technological tools in a way that sometimes overcome governments'
capabilities. In this regard, poverty and unemployment, which form a
fertile ground for hatred and animosity among peoples and nations,
help terrorists. Therefore, we ask our partners to understand this
problem and help us facing it through strengthening our security and
development potentials.


Ladies and Gentlemen

We would like to reiterate that the basic problem Yemen is suffering
from is essentially an economic one including the high population
growth rate and low rate of education enrolment as more than 3
million children are not included in the educational system and half
of the population are deprived from basic services especially
electricity which covers the needs of only 42% of the population,
and the percentage of those who get water from the public network is
around 26% only and about 32% of Yemeni families face a severe
shortage of food security.

In spite of continuous efforts to tackle those problems through
development plans and programs and economic reforms programs, those
efforts were not enough to fulfill the required goals. The impact of
those problems would certainly be reflected in increasing the
numbers of extremists and security defects a matter that should be
treated quickly and overcome its devastating effects.

We, in the Republic of Yemen reaffirm our commitment to continue
political, economic, and social reforms to insure the achievement of
stability and prosperity for our people. We are also committed to
our obligations towards international organizations and donor
community. The obligations are related to the continuation of
developing the state's institutional build up with the aim of
improving the abilities to implement development programs.

The Yemeni government is also keen to accelerate the pace of
implementing the national reforms agenda and developing the good
governance system especially the enhancement of the independence of
the judicial authority, combating corruption, improving investment
environment, stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty rate.

The last four years have witnessed the implementation of a wide
range of structural, institutional and legislative reforms as well
as political and economic reforms including stressing on the
independence of judiciary system and establishing institutions to
combat corruption and mending the tendering system and achieving
transparency in this area through the establishment of the High
Tenders Board.

In addition to that, ten priorities were identified and would be
implemented during this and coming year as an urgent necessity
before the government to accelerate the pace of development, reforms
process and the institutional build up and development in accordance
with objective, clear and complete programs.


Ladies and Gentlemen

We reaffirm that terrorism will never deter our country from its
commitment to democracy and multi-party system which has been
adopted by the Republic of Yemen as a principle and irreversible
option.

Citizens enjoy rights of establishing political parties the number
of which today is more than 20 political parties, freedom of
expression, publishing and information as more than 30 opposition,
national, independent daily and weekly papers are being issued,
widening women participation, establishing civil society
organizations, protecting and respecting human rights. In spite of
difficult circumstances, and obstacles, Yemen has always been
working to improve its democratic experiment.

Yemen is a democratic country that was founded on elected
constitutional institutions consisting of the parliament, and a
government formed according to the results reflected by the will of
voters in ballot boxes. We also have competitive periodic
presidential, parliamentary and local council elections in addition
to active and effective political parties and civil society
organizations.

Therefore, it is unacceptable to consider Yemen as a falling state
or on its way to be. This type of talking is opposing reality and
contradicting facts and is also considered as an intervention in the
internal affairs.

If some people attribute such talking to some extremist actions or
terrorism, such acts and terror do not exist in Yemen alone but also
in many advanced and primitive countries alike. Extremism and
terrorism have neither boundaries nor homelands.

We, in the Republic of Yemen, realize that the democratic
transformation process in a developed country and a traditional
society require from our partners to understand that such process
needs support and encouragement in order to continue and develop.

Based on this vision, the political reforms process will continue
with the aim of improving and boosting the democratic process.

In addition, we are about to carry out a reform process for the
political and elections systems to insure widening political
participation and adopting the two chambers system of the
legislative authority and transferring to a wider local authority.


Ladies and Gentlemen

We believe that a stable and prosperous Yemen is a basic guarantee
to achieve success in the fight against terrorism with all of its
forms and to serve the security and stability in the region and the
world. This would not be achieved except through clear and practical
support for the security, stability and unity of Yemen by its
regional and international partners.

We reaffirm that the Republic of Yemen is keen to fulfill its
national, regional and international responsibilities in combating
terrorism and that its territories will never be a safe heaven for
extremists and terrorists. We will also continue our pursuit and
hunt down for terrorist elements with all our available power and
potentials and efforts on this track will never stop.

The Yemeni government and people are looking forward to this meeting
with great hopes that there would be a clear understanding for the
issues that would bolster efforts to fight terror and also create
hope for the Yemeni people that they are not alone facing economic
challenges and that their partners, brothers and friends are
strongly standing and supporting them. We would also like to express
our high appreciation for the call launched by a number of countries
to establish Yemen Friends Group with the aim of supporting its
development and security.

We would also like to express our thanks and appreciation for the
approaches aiming at holding a conference in Riyadh in the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia following this meeting to discuss issues related to
financing development needs and improving effectiveness of
development assistances for Yemen as well as reinforcing its
security and economic potentials.


In conclusion, I would like to express my best wishes and hope our
meeting would be successful and come out with fruitful results that
contribute to the achievement of the aspired goals serving stability
in Yemen and the region.

Thank you very much




AF/AF