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