Friends of Yemen meeting kicks off in London

The Friends of Yemen meeting kicked off Tuesday in the British capital London with the participation of 39 countries to rally international support to Yemen. The meeting inaugurated and co-chaired by British Foreign Secretary William Hague, Saudi Deputy Minister for Multinational Regional Affairs Prince Ambassador Turki bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Kabeer and Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi. The conferees also include representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the UN and the Yemeni Executive Bureau. The Friends of Yemen was established in 2010 to co-ordinate international support for Yemen and comprises 39 countries and organizations. With the conclusion of the National Dialogue Conference (NDC) earlier this year, Yemen has entered a new stage in its transition towards a constitutional referendum and elections. This meeting is expected to endorse the Yemeni proposal for a restructured Friends of Yemen group which can provide more targeted support in Yemen. It will also discuss progress on the political, economic and security objectives set at the last Friends of Yemen meeting in New York in 2013 and ensure donors work closely with the Executive Bureau so the money pledged to help support Yemen's future is spent effectively