25January 2003
Yemen is presently undergoing the most delicate circumstances which underscore the urgency of an internal coordination between official and unofficial authorities before these challenges. The country is seen witnessing successes and stumbles. This week, we interview Abdullah Al-Radhi, foreign undersecretary, who spells out Yemen’s attitude toward terrorism, relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council states and disputes with its neighbor Eritrea.
Q: Is Yemen struggling for full membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council by a specific date?
A: There is no specific date set, but Yemen’s cooperation with the GCC is going rapidly and there are still steps before we have full membership.
Q: What about Yemen’s relations with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia?
A: Yemen and Kuwait’s diplomacy have contributed much to melting the ice which covered the relations throughout the 1990s. Yemeni and Kuwaiti officials have been exchanging warm visits throughout the past three years. The visit of Yemen’s Minister of Foreign Affairs on 2002 to Kuwait did very much good to the bilateral relations. The visiting minister therein drove home Yemen’s outlook toward the remaining disputed points. Yemen also exerted efforts to sort out the problem of Kuwaiti detainees in Iraq, during the summit of Beirut. Now, the relations are better off than ever before. The Yemeni-Kuwaiti Committee is arranging for a meeting during which bilateral cooperation treaties will be signed.
Q: Still the incarceration and maltreatment of Yemeni immigrants in Saudi is doing bad to the Yemeni-Saudi relations. What is the government doing to deal with this issue?
A: Legal immigrants meet pretty good treatment, they are offered all facilitations and services. But often we can’t keep track of the illegal immigrants, basically how many and who illegally traveled to Saudi Arabia. However, we are sending commissions to the spots where illegal immigrants were arrested, to make sure that the detainees are not being maltreated. The commissions give every detainee an identity label with the charge level against him and the punishment, if any, enclosed . To deal perfectly with this issue, there is a need for a special mechanism that regulates Yemeni employment in Saudi Arabia. Recently, a Yemeni-Saudi committee held a meeting in Aden for addressing Yemen-Saudi cooperation and this issue. The recommendations of the committee will be presented to the Higher Coordination Yemeni-Saudi Council.
Q: What about the latest development of the Yemeni-Eritrean dispute over traditional fishing rights?
A: There is an Eritrean misunderstanding over the article which regulates traditional fishing rights. Based on this misunderstanding, the Eritreans are harassing Yemeni fishermen. It was surprising that the Eritreans came to misunderstand the article years after arbitration. Yemen has recoursed to bilateral reconciliatory talks with Eritrea. When President Saleh visited Eritrea, the Eritrean president suggested that this issue should be referred to a third party for arbitration. But then the Eritreans retreated from going for settlement. Now we are working to get the disputes patched up as soon as possible.
Q: In regard to the resurgent disputes with Eritrea, is Yemen ready to go to the International Justice Court (IJC) another time?
A: We are ready to go to any authority the Eritreans want, including the IJC.
Q: What about Yemen’s relations with the states of southeast Asia as a new market for Yemen’s oil and gas?
A: Well, our relations with these countries are looking up. Yemen with its free zone constitutes a vital economic spot in the region. The political relations are also good. But the marketing of oil there depends on demand and supply, not on political factors.
Q: If it comes to internal affairs, do you think that democracy is mature by now?
A: Fairly put, democracy is proceeding easily here and setting a pattern for all other democratic experiences in the region. But to avoid exaggeration, it is early to say democracy is mature. All see that it is a unique experience, but takes long to become mature.
Q: Some are still skeptical about democracy, but…
A: Our democracy is an exclusive one that preserves traditions. It was not imported but it is there for those who want to learn from it. It has earned Yemen international respect and assistance.
Q: Do tribalism and communalism have an influence on elections in Yemen?
A: Democracy has been deeply rooted here since the era of Queen Bilqis over 3,000 years ago. Tribalism which did not adopt Shura does have a negative effect on the process of democracy, but tribalism in today’s form does believe in Shura and so does contribute to the development of democracy. The civic organizations are also there to deal with all that could hinder democracy.
Q: How do you evaluate Yemen’s relations with the Gulf States?
A: Well. We have signed cooperation treaties with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) whereby Yemen was admitted to four institutes of the council. We have formed a work team to follow up with the implementation of these treaties. We also agreed that a team from the general secretariat of the GCC should visit Yemen to make sure that Yemeni rules and laws adapt to the legislature of the council states. We are learning from the gulf experience and examining a set of issues painstakingly. There is a continuous communication between the ministers whose ministries have been admitted into the GCC and their gulf counterparts. The official efforts are oriented to gain a full membership for the country. There is of course a shared interest to have Yemen a full member in the GCC thanks to the fact that Yemen is only part of the social fabric of the Gulf States. Yemen’s full accession to the council will bring a mutual advantage. Efforts will be better united to stave off terror and secure stability.
Yemen is presently undergoing the most delicate circumstances which underscore the urgency of an internal coordination between official and unofficial authorities before these challenges. The country is seen witnessing successes and stumbles. This week, we interview Abdullah Al-Radhi, foreign undersecretary, who spells out Yemen’s attitude toward terrorism, relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council states and disputes with its neighbor Eritrea.
Q: Is Yemen struggling for full membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council by a specific date?
A: There is no specific date set, but Yemen’s cooperation with the GCC is going rapidly and there are still steps before we have full membership.
Q: What about Yemen’s relations with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia?
A: Yemen and Kuwait’s diplomacy have contributed much to melting the ice which covered the relations throughout the 1990s. Yemeni and Kuwaiti officials have been exchanging warm visits throughout the past three years. The visit of Yemen’s Minister of Foreign Affairs on 2002 to Kuwait did very much good to the bilateral relations. The visiting minister therein drove home Yemen’s outlook toward the remaining disputed points. Yemen also exerted efforts to sort out the problem of Kuwaiti detainees in Iraq, during the summit of Beirut. Now, the relations are better off than ever before. The Yemeni-Kuwaiti Committee is arranging for a meeting during which bilateral cooperation treaties will be signed.
Q: Still the incarceration and maltreatment of Yemeni immigrants in Saudi is doing bad to the Yemeni-Saudi relations. What is the government doing to deal with this issue?
A: Legal immigrants meet pretty good treatment, they are offered all facilitations and services. But often we can’t keep track of the illegal immigrants, basically how many and who illegally traveled to Saudi Arabia. However, we are sending commissions to the spots where illegal immigrants were arrested, to make sure that the detainees are not being maltreated. The commissions give every detainee an identity label with the charge level against him and the punishment, if any, enclosed . To deal perfectly with this issue, there is a need for a special mechanism that regulates Yemeni employment in Saudi Arabia. Recently, a Yemeni-Saudi committee held a meeting in Aden for addressing Yemen-Saudi cooperation and this issue. The recommendations of the committee will be presented to the Higher Coordination Yemeni-Saudi Council.
Q: What about the latest development of the Yemeni-Eritrean dispute over traditional fishing rights?
A: There is an Eritrean misunderstanding over the article which regulates traditional fishing rights. Based on this misunderstanding, the Eritreans are harassing Yemeni fishermen. It was surprising that the Eritreans came to misunderstand the article years after arbitration. Yemen has recoursed to bilateral reconciliatory talks with Eritrea. When President Saleh visited Eritrea, the Eritrean president suggested that this issue should be referred to a third party for arbitration. But then the Eritreans retreated from going for settlement. Now we are working to get the disputes patched up as soon as possible.
Q: In regard to the resurgent disputes with Eritrea, is Yemen ready to go to the International Justice Court (IJC) another time?
A: We are ready to go to any authority the Eritreans want, including the IJC.
Q: What about Yemen’s relations with the states of southeast Asia as a new market for Yemen’s oil and gas?
A: Well, our relations with these countries are looking up. Yemen with its free zone constitutes a vital economic spot in the region. The political relations are also good. But the marketing of oil there depends on demand and supply, not on political factors.
Q: If it comes to internal affairs, do you think that democracy is mature by now?
A: Fairly put, democracy is proceeding easily here and setting a pattern for all other democratic experiences in the region. But to avoid exaggeration, it is early to say democracy is mature. All see that it is a unique experience, but takes long to become mature.
Q: Some are still skeptical about democracy, but…
A: Our democracy is an exclusive one that preserves traditions. It was not imported but it is there for those who want to learn from it. It has earned Yemen international respect and assistance.
Q: Do tribalism and communalism have an influence on elections in Yemen?
A: Democracy has been deeply rooted here since the era of Queen Bilqis over 3,000 years ago. Tribalism which did not adopt Shura does have a negative effect on the process of democracy, but tribalism in today’s form does believe in Shura and so does contribute to the development of democracy. The civic organizations are also there to deal with all that could hinder democracy.
Q: How do you evaluate Yemen’s relations with the Gulf States?
A: Well. We have signed cooperation treaties with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) whereby Yemen was admitted to four institutes of the council. We have formed a work team to follow up with the implementation of these treaties. We also agreed that a team from the general secretariat of the GCC should visit Yemen to make sure that Yemeni rules and laws adapt to the legislature of the council states. We are learning from the gulf experience and examining a set of issues painstakingly. There is a continuous communication between the ministers whose ministries have been admitted into the GCC and their gulf counterparts. The official efforts are oriented to gain a full membership for the country. There is of course a shared interest to have Yemen a full member in the GCC thanks to the fact that Yemen is only part of the social fabric of the Gulf States. Yemen’s full accession to the council will bring a mutual advantage. Efforts will be better united to stave off terror and secure stability.
© Yemen Observer 2003
