Yemen, KSA sign $46 mln agreement in energy

SANA'A, Dec. 20 (Saba) - Yemen and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed here on Monday an agreement of importing wooden poles for electricity and a part of air electric grid equipment of the fifth energy project-first phase with a governmental funding worth $ 46 million.

After signing the agreement, Minister of Electricity and Energy Awadh al-Suqatry affirmed the importance of the project in creating a comprehensive development in rural areas aiming at to reduce the electricity shortfall.

The minister said that the project's first phase worth $ 120 million has been endorsed by the High Tender Board, adding that the implementation of the first phase covering seven governorates will start next year.

For his part, Executive Director of General Authority for Rural Electricity Ahmed al-Sabri expected that the other group of agreements will be signed next week, hoping that such projects will assist in increasing the electricity coverage with about 60 – 70 percent in the rural areas.

For his part, the General Director of the fifth energy project Hesham al-Abaasi said the project- with both phases - costs totally $272 million, of which $120 million for the first phase and $152 million for the second phase.

He added that the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) will contribute $ 100 million to the two phases as a commodity loan.

It is worth to mention that about 84 districts will benefit from the fifth energy project in seven governorates: Mahrah, Shabwa, Sa'ada, Jawf, Dhamar, Raymah and Taiz.

HA/AF

www.yemen-press.com

President Saleh inaugurates 1st Young Inventors Exhibition

ADEN, Dec. 20 (Saba) - President Ali Abdullah Saleh inaugurated Monday in Aden governorate the First Young Inventors Exhibition with a participation of 40 inventors won gold medals in international events.

Saleh made a tour in the exhibition that included paintings and models of the Youths' inventions in various scientific and technological areas.

The President saluted the Youths' creativity, affirming the State's care on the inventors in different fields.

He also urged the concerned authorities to pay more attention to inventors and to organize competitions and events to shed lights to their inventions.

FJ/AF

www.yemen-press.com

Information Minister meets Ethiopian outgoing ambassador

Minister of Information Hassan al-Lawzi met here on Monday with the Ethiopian outgoing ambassador to Yemen Tawfiq Abdullah.

The two officials' meeting dealt with cooperation aspects between Yemen and Ethiopia as well as means of promoting them.

They also talked about issues relating to developing the components of media agreements signed between the two sides, including the mutual cooperation between Yemen News Agency (Saba) and the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA).

The meeting reviewed the cooperation possibilities, especially after the establishment the Yemeni media attaché at Yemen Embassy in Ethiopia aiming to create more joint media activity.

The Ethiopian envoy hailed the interaction of all mass media in Yemen with developments in Ethiopia.

In return, the minister presented a vision on ways of developing media relations between Yemen and Ethiopia as well as Sana'a Forum countries.

He also noted to the need of drawing up a media agreement organizes relations in overall media means.

FJ/AF

www.yemen-press.com

Al-Arhabi reveals preparations for fast-track to reach MDGs

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdul-Karim al-Arhabi revealed on Monday the launch of preparations for a fast-track to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

He also disclosed about preparations for the development of a medium-term strategy for reforms extending to the end of 2015.

Opening a workshop held in Sana'a on the assessment of the MDGs' achievement by 2015, al-Arhabi pointed that the government represented by the Planning Ministry has made, in cooperation with the UNDP and other relevant authorities, a significant progress in the preparations of a fast-track to achieve the MDGs by 2015.

The fast-track is based on a set of programs and integrated interventions of priority, which would make significant impact in addressing the main difficulties that face the MDGs' achievement, al-Arhabi added.

He pointed out that the Ministry would continue to mobilize and coordinate efforts of the governmental organizations and Yemen's partners in development to develop specific programs at the level of each goal to include them in the fourth five-year plan for socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation in 2011-2015 and its general investment program in the State's budget.

In this regard, al-Arhabi confirmed the government's keenness to improve the environment that supports reaching the MDGs by 2015, noting that over the past years the government carried out a wide range of reforms. He stressed the need for an optimal use of the available resources to achieve this purpose.

At the workshop, a number of interventions were presented. The interventions focused on the nature of the achievements and difficulties related to achieving the MDGs by 2015 in the health and education sectors, as well as a presentation on the study prepared by the World Bank (WB) and the UNDP.

The Study has resulted in a number of conclusions, the most notably that the achievement of all MDGs by 2015 is an unrealistic due to the large and required increases in the governmental services and necessary finances.

BA

www.yemen-press.com

India eyes Yemeni minerals

Indian ambassador to Yemen Ausuf Sayeed affirmed on Monday the keenness of Indian private sector to invest in mineral exploration in Yemen, particularly iron and fertilizers.

During his meeting with Deputy Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Hisham Sharaf, the Indian diplomat hailed the cooperation level between Yemen and India, pinning hops that the future will witness a progress in the bilateral cooperation.

The deputy minister welcomed the Indian and Asian investments in Yemen.

Sharaf and Sayeed discussed a number of issues related to enhancing Yemeni-Indian investment cooperation and implementing the two countries' joint trends via encouraging investment exchange.

The two officials also talked in detail about some agreements ready to be signed between Yemen and India in different fields during the upcoming meetings of the Yemeni-Indian joint committee to be held in the first quarter of 2011.

They also dealt with possibility to conduct feasibility studies for a number of projects to be funded by the Indian government.

FJ/AF