By: Najeeb Yafe'i FOR THE YEMEN POST

In his 4th visit to Russia, President Ali Abdullah Saleh showedinterest in more intensive trade, military and economic cooperation between Yemen and Russia, especially in the fields of oil, gas and military armament.
President Saleh also discussed the possibility for canceling Yemen’s debts it owes to Russia, mounting to $6.7 billion, in return for granting Russian companies especially those specialized in construction, oil and gas production privileges to work in Yemen.
Media sources revealed that Saleh has a package of grand civil projects where Russian companies can take part in. He also seeks to sign larger deals of weapons and hardware maintenance with Russia.
According to experts, the deals included paying for an undefined number of Russian fighters MiG-29 as well as other military hardware and spare parts for the weapons imported from Russia in the past.
Within a future program to modernize and develop the armament of the Yemeni army at $4 billion in the upcoming years, the Yemeni government seeks to purchase tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, rocket launchers, air defense missiles, radars and combat boats.
Over 95 percent of the military hardware and aircraft, according to military experts, used by the Yemeni Armed Forces were produced by Russia. The same hold true for radar networks and air defense systems. Yemeni Air Force currently has 44 MiG-29SMT and MiG-29UBT fighters in service.
Yemen also seeks to reach an agreement on the maintenance of old generations of military hardware, component supplies which are in service now as well as the training of Yemeni military personnel in Russia.
The then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), inherited later by Russia, was the biggest exporter of weapons to Yemen. It used to have military bases in Yemen; namely, in Al-Anad base and Socotra; however, these bases were abandoned following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Sources revealed that the two countries would conclude a $250 million deal where Yemen will purchase of 100 armored vehicles, 300 Kamaz trucks and 50 mortars with ammunition.

Privileges for Russian warships
Russia has already deployed several warships and combat vessels to join over more than 20 warships from the navies of 16 countries to comb the international waters off Somalia coasts and other areas which are considered for the international navigation, especially of commercial vessels, in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
At present, the Admiral Vinogradov destroyer from Russia’s Pacific Fleet performs patrolling tasks in the Gulf of Aden. It also works for escorting commercial ships through the dangerous waters.
Yemen offered to provide the required help and logistical support for Russian warships which work in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean in fighting piracy and defending the commercial Russian vessels. This comes within the efforts both countries exert for combating terrorism and piracy activities.
Russian newspapers quoted President Saleh as saying “we would like to discuss the issue of continuing to provide Russian warships all necessary facilities as far as it concerns anti-piracy measures in our region.”
Saleh also mentioned that Yemen has established a regional center for handling the issue of piracy.
“The goal we are pursuing is to provide safe maritime navigation and enhance international peace and stability. These issues are of interest to the entire international community,” Saleh added.

Yemeni-Russian relations
Considered the first country to have diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, Yemeni- Russian relations date back to 1928, the date in which the first agreement between the then North Yemen under Imam Yahya Hamid Addin and then USSR was signed.
Both countries started exchanging diplomatic missions as of 1956 and Abdul Rahman Abu Talib was the first non-resident Yemeni ambassador to Moscow. By the time, USSR opened a consulate in Taiz City, the place where Yemen’s Imam lived then. The first official Yemeni visit to Russia was paid by Mohammed Al-Badr, son of Imam Ahmed Hamid Addin.