King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has reiterated Kingdom's “keenness on Yemen's stability, security and territorial integrity.” During his talks here on Tuesday, King Abdullah and the visiting Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh discussed ways of enhancing relations between the two countries in all fields. They also discussed the developments at regional and international arenas, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Saleh also met senior political, military and intelligence officials here, underscoring Riyadh's concern over stability in its southern neighbor. Yemen shares with Saudi Arabia a porous 1,500-km border. Yemen, which agreed to a ceasefire with the northern rebels this month, is due to deploy along the border according to the terms of the ceasefire. Yemeni rebels have handed over three Saudi soldiers under the terms of the ceasefire with Sana'a, and were expected to release two more captive soldiers. Saleh's visit comes ahead of a meeting in Riyadh Saturday of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to discuss aid to Yemen. International assistance is crucial for Yemen as it would help foster reforms and the development of its fragile economy to address grievances that are at the heart of its instability. About 35 percent of Yemen's 23 million people live in poverty. “Saudi Arabia is the GCC's most influential member and Yemen's closest neighbor. We hope that it will lead by example and use its influence within the GCC to assist our country,” a Yemeni diplomat said. “This will prove crucial not just within the GCC but also with other international donors to deliver on their commitments made toward Yemen,” he added.
