The US government will raise its financial aid to Yemen to reach 30-40 million dollars, US ambassador to Yemen Barbara Boudin said on Tuesday.
"The United States will increase its annual economic development aid to Yemen to between 40 and 50 million dollars," against the current 30 million, she told journalists in Sanaa.
She told the conference, held at the US embassy, that the increase is in line with the American support to Yemeni efforts in various spheres after the Yemeni unity.
Washington raised the aid to the Arab country following the visit to the United States earlier this month by Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the ambassador said.
Bodine denied that Washington had put pressure on Yemen to normalize its relations with Israel.
She said the visit to Yemen by Israeli Jews of Yemeni origin in March was "a humanitarian measure taken by the Yemeni government."
The Jews traveled on temporary documents issued to them by Yemen's UN mission, not on Israeli passports.
"The United States hopes its friends in the region will normalize their relations with Israel, and Yemen is a country which supports the Middle East peace process," she said.
The US aid to Yemen until 1994 totaled 15 million dollars annually and increased in recent years to 30 million.
Boudin hailed Yemeni government efforts on consolidating the country's unity.
She underlined the US keenness on solving border problems between Yemen and
Saudi Arabia (Agencies)
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