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Yemen moves ahead with diplomatic outreach

SANAA, Yemen, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The Yemeni government is getting financial pledges of assistance from its Western allies in Turkey, the Yemeni minister of international cooperation said.

Yemen was the subject of a regional security alert from the United States. The U.S. government in early August said it suspected al-Qaida may be targeting Western interests in the region.

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Yemeni Minister for International Cooperation Momammed al-Saadi met in Sanaa with Turkish Ambassador Fazli Corman to discuss bilateral affairs. The official Saba News Agency reported the Turkish government said it plans to "raise the ceiling of its aid to Yemen in the future."

There was no corresponding statement from the Turkish embassy. A July statement from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Turkish nationals were arrested in Yemen on charges of smuggling weapons into the country.

Saba reported Tuesday both sides agreed to enhance security ties through training and the exchange of security information related to terrorism, organized crime and smuggling.

The British, French and German embassies in Yemen were reopened Sunday. Their respective governments announced temporary closures Aug. 4.

The U.S. Embassy in Sanaa remains closed. The State Department said last week the embassy would reopen soon but provided no further updates.

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