FRANCE: PARIS:YEMEN: ALI ABULLAH SALEH OFFICIAL VISIT

(16 Jan 1995) Arabic/Nat

Yemen and Saudi Arabia have agreed to seek a peaceful settlement for their decades-old border dispute that sparked renewed fighting over the weekend.

Yemen's state-run radio said the reported troop buildups along the frontier would be withdrawn.

Yemen's head of state Gen. Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is currently on an official visit to France, told APTV that he believed the border dispute with Saudi Arabia would be settled amicably.

The Yemeni president held meetings in Paris today (Monday) with several business leaders and representatives of aid organisations. He also discussed the border dispute with French President Francois Mitterrand this afternoon.

During a press conference, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is chairman of the Presidential Council of Yemen, stated that he hoped a large-scale confrontation with Saudi Arabia could be avoided.

SOUNDBITE:
(Arabic)
'We hope that the concentration of military forces on our borders will be reduced due to the mediation efforts of our Arab friends.'
SUPER CAPTION: Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of Yemen

Although the border dispute has been simmering for almost seven decades, Saleh believes that the current crisis will be short-lived.

SOUNDBITE:
(Arabic)
It is a short-term crisis which will quickly go away because there are common efforts and good intentions by Yemeni and Saudi Arabian leaders.'
SUPER CAPTION: Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of Yemen

Saleh said Syrian President Hafez Assad mediated the crisis and defused the confrontation between the two largest countries on the oil-rich Arabian peninsula.

SOUNDBITE:
(Arabic)
'When the Syrians heard of the troubles between the Yemeni and Saudi brothers, they took the initiative and mediated in order to resolve the crisis between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.'
SUPER CAPTION: Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of Yemen

While Yemen has claimed the Saudis have massed troops at three border crossing points in recent days, Saudi Arabia denied that and said Yemen which was assembling forces on the frontier. The two countries have accused each other in recent weeks of
launching armed incursions along the border, disputed for more than half a century, with fatalities reported on both sides.

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