The European Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, was due to begin a three-day visit to Yemen on Saturday for talks on European Union development aid to Yemen, reports said Friday. Yemen's official Saba news agency said the EU official would on Sunday sign a pact on the 78-million euro (102 million dollars) aid package to Yemen for the period 2007 to 2010, according to dpa. The package was to finance projects for good governance, private sector development and human capital development. Ferrero-Waldner was also scheduled to hold talks with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar, and other senior government officials, as well as representatives of civil society and political parties. The EU is among the key supporters of Yemen's development programmes aimed at alleviating poverty. Since the reunification of South and North Yemen EU aid funds to the impoverished country has reached 200 million euros (272 million dollars). EU's aid to Yemen focuses mainly on projects of food security, health, vocational training, local community development, development of the fisheries sector, trade promotion, public administration reform, electoral assistance, human rights and civil society. -- SPA
