YEMEN, FRANCE TALK OVER SECURITY COOPERATION

SANA'A, Feb.18 (Saba) - Minister of Interior Mutahar al-Masri met here on Thursday with the French ambassador in Sana'a , Joseph Silva.

In the meeting, the two sides talked over aspects of security cooperation and coordination between Yemen and France and means of boosting them, especially with regard to the support to be presented by the French government and the European Union to the Police Academy in Yemen.

The support includes upgrading the academy's departments and programs in accordance with the advanced scientific principles, in addition to exchanging visits between the two sides and sending Yemeni cadres from the academy for training in the French security schools and institutions, including the women police cadres.

The two sides also dealt with the assistance and the technical support offered to the Yemeni coastguard police by France and the EU, particularly in the fields of combating sea piracy, illegal migration and terrorism as well as the establishment of an internal communication network for the interior ministry.

Al-Masri valued the assistance presented by the French government and the EU to the Yemeni security agencies, praising the French ambassador's efforts to strengthen the bilateral relations between Yemen and France.

He renewed the ministry's readiness to offer all facilities and support to enhance and succeed the joint projects between Yemen, France the EU.

For his part, the French ambassador confirmed his country's readiness to present all aspects of support to the Yemeni security agencies, appreciating the ministry's efforts and facilities to succeed the current cooperation projects between the two sides.

BA