Pakistani official calls for closer ties with Yemen

ISLAMABAD, July 31 (Saba)-
Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has called for concerted efforts to
foster closer
and his country's cordial ties with Yemen particularly in the areas of trade and
economic cooperation.
The Pakistani hoped that his country's mission in Sana'a will concentrate on
expanding Pakistan's exports of rice, textiles, pharmaceutical, engineering goods
and food stuff
to the Yemeni market.
The Prime Minister underscored the need for expeditious convening of next Joint
Ministerial Commission meeting and reviving of Joint Business Council between the
two countries
to make headway in strengthening of commercial and economic ties.
Gilani was talking to Syed Khawaja Al Qama, Ambassador of Pakistan to Yemen, who
called on him at the Prime Minister's Secretariat.
The Prime Minister recalled that during Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed's visit to
Yemen in 1996, Yemen had allocated a piece of land for construction of the new
Pakistani
School building in Sana'a and asked the ambassador to submit a comprehensive
proposal for Government's consideration for construction of school as well as the
Embassy Complex
on that site.
The Prime Minister noted that the high level exchanges between Pakistan and Yemen
have been far and few in between.
He directed the ambassador to work for their revival and increase people to people
contacts to add new impetus to the bilateral relations.
The Pakistani ambassador thanked the Prime Minister for his continued support to
him in discharge of his duties as Pakistan's envoy to Yemen.
He apprised the Prime Minister of the efforts and initiatives being undertaken by
Pakistan's Embassy in Sana'a for expanding the cooperation between the two sides in
diverse
fields.
He assured the Prime Minister that the embassy would focus its energies and efforts
under Prime Minister's guidance for bringing the two fraternal countries ever
closer.