President Ali Abdullah Saleh received on Monday a letter from Japan's prime minister Yasuo Fukuda regarding developing the existing bilateral relations, Saba reported. In the letter, Fukuda thanked the Yemeni government for doing its utmost efforts to release the two Japanese tourists held in the eastern Yemeni province of Marib and providing support for the Japanese oil tanker which was attacked by Somali pirates off the Yemeni eastern coasts. The letter was delivered by the Japanese ambassador to Yemen Masakazu Toshikage. Fukuda also affirmed that Japan will continue to support the development path in Yemen particularly in the fields of technical education and vocational training and primary education, medicine, rural water supplies and sanitation as well as providing non-project aid. He said Japan is keen on developing relations with Yemen since Yemen has a location that not only serves the region but also the whole world including Japan. At the meeting president Saleh extended his best wishes for the Japanese premier and all the Japanese people.
