President arrives in Damascus

DAMASCUS, Feb. 23 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh arrived here on Monday on a state visit during which he will hold talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The talks will deal with boosting brotherly relations and cooperation between the
two countries and Arab, regional and international developments topped by
Palestinian issue.

Saleh was received in Damascus Airport by President Bashar al-Assad, Deputy Prime
Minister Abdullah Adderdi and several Syrian Ministers.

President Saleh made a statement to media outlets in which he said "it gives me
pleasure and the accompanying delegation to visit the Syrian Arab Republic and met
with President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian Prime Minister and ministers."

"This visit comes in the framework of improving unique brotherly relations and joint
cooperation between the two brotherly countries in different fields and for
following up results of Damascus and Kuwait summits and previous Arab summits," he
affirmed.

You know, he added, that Yemen had presented an initiative for solving differences
between Fatah and Hamas movements on the basis that Syria, Egypt and Turkey wills
sponsor this reconciliation. "We hope success to these efforts for deepening Arab
integration and unifying Palestinian front for facing great challenges facing Arab
and Islamic nation," he admired.

" In fact, the Republic of Yemen was and still seeking to purify Arab- Palestinian
atmospheres and thinks that the status quo obliges all to unify and integrate for
facing the great challenges posing threat to Arab national security," he said.

He expressed hope the visit would realize good results in the direction of boosting
brotherly relations between the two countries and deepening Arab reconciliation for
realizing our nation's development and prosperity.

MA