French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is to arrive in Yemen on Saturday, with the latest developments in the Middle East and African Horn on the agenda.
Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi said that Kouchner will discuss with the Yemeni officials the latest developments in the region topped by the situation in Gaza after the recent Israel's offensive on the strip as well as regional and international efforts to reach a truce between Hamas and Israel.
Kouchner's meetings with the Yemeni officials will, furthermore, bring up the issues of reconciling Palestinian factions, lifting the Israeli blockade on Palestine, efforts to reconstruct the war-ravaged Gaza strip and the French role to bring peace to the Middle East, al-Qirbi said.
The meetings will also highlight the developments in the African Horn topped by the situation in Somalia as a new president for the country was sworn in almost a month ago.
The issue of piracy and international coordination to fight it as well as providing necessary support for Yemen's Coastguard to take part in the fight on it would be raised as well.
The two countries foreign ministers will hold a joint press conference to highlight the outcomes of the discussions.