Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal today welcomed in Jeddah visiting Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdul-Qadir Bajamal, whom he had invited for discussions on matters of mutual concern, in particular aspects of the border issue between the two countries. For his part, Minister Bajamal described the visit as of special importance in view of the circumstances surrounding the bilateral Saudi-Yemeni relations which he said were currently passing some critical points. He expressed deep regret for the recent events, which, he said, must not be repeated.

Minister Bajamal conveyed to Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, a message from Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.  Later, he was received by Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector-General.
Following the meeting, Prince Saud Al-Faisal held a press conference, but declined to comment on remarks made earlier by Yemen's Interior Minister General Hussein Muhammad Arab regarding the borders between the two countries.  He reiterated the need for any dispute on bilateral matters including the border issue to be referred to the relevant committees, adding that officials of the two countries should refrain from making statements to the press in order to avoid further complicating the situation and distancing the two parties from a solution to the problem.

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