Yemen, Sudan, Ethiopia, summit in Khartoum

Omdurman, Sudan, 24 Dec 2004 -Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Salih and the Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi, will arrive in the country on the evening of the day after tomorrow, Sunday [26 December, 2004], to take part in the activities of the Sanaa cooperation summit, scheduled to begin in Khartoum on Monday and is set to continue for two days.

The president of Somalia, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmad, whose country is attending the summit as an observer, is scheduled to arrive on Saturday evening.

The Sanaa cooperation summit, which brings together Sudan, Ethiopia and Yemen, as well as Somalia and Djibouti as observer states, will discuss ways of strengthening political relations, achieving economic and social development and promoting cultural ties in the interest of the people of the three states [figure as heard], as well as supporting and enhancing peace, security and stability in the Horn of Africa and the southern Red Sea region.

Source: Republic of Sudan Radio via BBC Monitoring Service, Omdurman, in Arabic 0400 gmt 24 Dec 04