Japan values Yemen's efforts to release Japanese hostage

SANA'A, Nov.24 (Saba) -
Japanese government has highly valued the efforts exrerted by the concerned
authorities in
Yemen to release the Japanese engineer Takyu Nashimo who was abducted early last
week by outlaw elements in the district of Arhab, Sana'a province.
This came in the letter of Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada received by
Sana'a Governor Noman Duwaid during his meeting on Tuesday with the Japanese
ambassador in
Sana'a Masakazu Toshikage.
In his letter, the Japanese minister expressed thanks of Japan's government and
people for the efforts made by the Yemeni concerned authorities to speed releasing
the Japanese
engineer safely, noting this incident reaffirmed better the strength of
Yemeni-Japanese relations.
He confirmed that the distinct relations between the two friendly countries and
peoples will witness further development in future.
The Japanese minister expressed his confidence in the Japanese nationals working in
Yemen would continue to work serenely to serve the economic and social development
through
following up the implementation level of the projects financed by Japan.
The foreigner engineer worked for a Japanese cooperative mission overseeing the
implementation of a Japanese aid program.
He was kidnapped on Sunday while on his way to the worksite, a school project
funded by the JICA.
The release of the engineer Takyu Nashimo, 63, came after major efforts by the
authorities and tribal elders and people.
Shortly after his release, the engineer was met in Sana'a by Duwaid and Japan's
envoy to Yemen Masakazu Toshikage.
The kidnappers' main demand was to release a detainee held by the Yemeni
authorities four years ago on links to al-Qaeda.
BA