Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, denied allegations published in Yemeni press reports regarding a Saudi-Yemeni dispute, saying that Saudi-Yemeni relations remain strong.
In statements to Al-Arabiya television channel, broadcast on Wednesday, Prince Sultan said that Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Salih remain in direct contact.
When questioned about the barbed-wire fence across the Saudi-Yemeni border, Prince Sultan said that consultation is taking place between Saudi and Yemeni Interior Ministries on issues of mutual concern, and added that problems arising over border areas are minor and can be contained and settled with ease.
Pointing out reports published by two Yemeni newspapers on Saudi-Yemeni differences, Prince Sultan said: “No dispute exists between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Representatives of the Saudi and Yemeni Interior Ministries are tonight holding a meeting. There are, in any case, continuous meetings between Saudi and Yemeni officials, and no dispute exists between the two countries.”
Prince Sultan said that the wire fence at the Saudi-Yemeni border is intended to prevent the smuggling of drugs and persons across borders. “If it is proved that the fence does not serve mutual interests, it will be removed immediately,” he said, “as far as I know, it does not constitute a source of dispute between the two countries.”
Source: SPA
