Yemen, WB in talks on Saturday

SANA'A, Feb. 20 (Saba) - Yemen and World Bank (WB) are to commence
official talks in Saturday.

For this purpose, a high-level delegation of WB will arrive on
Saturday to hold the talk session that will be co-chaired by Deputy
Premier for Economic Affaires and Minister of Planning and
International Cooperation Abdul Karim al-Arhabi and WB Vice
President for the Middle East and North Africa Region Daniela
Gressani.

Head of the Foreign Aid Coordination Unit at the Planning and
International Cooperation Ministry Nabil Shaiban said that the talk
session would be dedicated for discuss the arrangements for the
country assistance for Yemen for 2009 - 2013.

The session will deal with the assistance priorities for human
development sectors and the WB future interference for the purpose
of promoting such sectors, Shaiban made clear.

The two sides will discuss enhancing the common cooperation with WB
to assist Yemen to overcome challenges facing Yemen in realizing the
development millennium goals by 2015.

The WB's portfolio includes supporting Yemen in economic areas,
particularly in alleviating poverty, improving the non-petroleum
economic sectors and reinforcing reforms in investment and
enterprises environment.

Worth mentioning is that WB has approved earlier that its
development assistance will be offered to Yemen as gifts rather than
loans from 2009.

AF/AF