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§ Keith Vaz (Leicester, East)I thank you, Mrs. Adams, for the opportunity to raise the current state of relations between Britain and Yemen. I am pleased to see the Minister here. I regard him as one of the best Ministers in the Government. He certainly has an interesting portfolio, and I admire the dedication and stamina that he has shown, especially over the past few weeks. I am also glad to see the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan), my near neighbour, on the Opposition Front Bench, because he has a keen interest in Yemen. He is a member of the all-party group on Yemen and has frequently visited the country.
Britain and Yemen have had close relations extending over centuries. Naturally, that relationship was especially intimate between 1839 and 1967, when Yemen was a British colony. Relations between our countries are of importance not just to the Yemeni Government. who have repeatedly expressed a wish to improve and to intensify their relations with Britain. the United States, and indeed the west as a whole, but to the British Government and their citizens. At this time, it is vital that we continue to assist Yemen to combat the horrors of trans-national terrorism, which poses a threat to people's security around the globe. To defeat the common perception of Yemen as a terrorist stronghold is crucial for attracting foreign direct investment and tourists, and to improve Yemen's international trade relations. All those components are necessary if the country is to escape poverty and if development is to be advanced.
Yemen is a beautiful country situated at the southern part of the Saudi Arabian peninsula, sharing borders with Oman in the east and Saudi Arabia in the north. It has a seashore 2,000 km long. With a land area of 550,000 sq km, Yemen is slightly bigger than France. The Yemeni population currently amounts to about 19 million. Yemen has an extraordinary history and culture stretching back over 3,000 years. Its geographical and economic situation favoured the creation of one of the earliest primitive societies, which established political and economic relations with other countries of the ancient world. The legendary Queen of Sheba came from ancient Yemen.
Before I proceed, it is only appropriate that I should declare my interest. For the benefit of those hon. Members who were not present on 16 February 1999, when I previously had the opportunity to speak about Yemen in the House, I am the chairman of the all-party group on Yemen, which is just about to be re-inaugurated after a short period of inactivity.
I was born in Aden, Yemen in 1956. For economic reasons, my parents had migrated from Bombay, India, and settled in Tawai, then called Steamer Point, in British-occupied South Yemen. My mother worked as a full-time teacher in the Arab girls college in Khomaksar. My father worked as an administrator for Shell. I spent the first nine years of my life there, before leaving with my family to escape the mounting conflict.
I still feel strongly attached to Yemen, and I have vivid and happy memories of my early childhood there. I was educated at St Joseph's convent school in Aden, 279WH and I used to sit on the beach watching the grand ships preparing to enter the Suez canal. I remember that the number one pop record at the time was "Ya Mustapha, Ya Mustapha an a by hibak Ya Mustapha." I still search the specialist record shops for it. There is as yet no cover version by Kylie Minogue.
I remember looking in awe at the governor's mansion. The then governor of Aden was Richard Luce. His son served as a Member of this House, and as Sir Richard Luce became governor of Gibraltar. I met him when I was Minister for Europe. He is now the Queen's Lord Chamberlain.
My interest in Yemen has naturally remained, and I am seriously concerned about its situation, particularly its relations with Britain. I revisited that extraordinary country for the first time in 1998, when I headed a delegation of British travel industry representatives to rediscover and to encourage bilateral relations. I met President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Ministers of Health, Culture and Justice and the Speaker of the Yemeni Assembly.
I went back in October 2000, when I was Minister of State at the Foreign Office. Although I was dealing with European matters, and Yemen is clearly not in Europe, the then Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook), asked me to undertake the visit. Since then, I have met Yemeni officials on several occasions.
I frequently meet the excellent ambassador to London, Mutahar Abdullah Alsaeedi, who came to see Leicester City play Sheffield United. Another visitor to the Walkers stadium on that day was the Minister for Sport, whose constituency in Sheffield has the largest number of British Yemenis in Britain, including Prince Naseem, probably the most famous person of Yemeni descent. In December last year, I met the Prime Minister Abd al-Qadir Bajammal in the House of Commons.
Yemen is a complex country and extremely difficult to understand, but to appreciate the challenges faced by its Government in their struggle against terrorism and their efforts to enhance internal security and development, I want to give a brief account of related difficulties. When British colonial rulers, after a 120-year long occupation, left the sparsely populated South Yemen in 1967, it was captured by Marxists, while the densely populated north never came under colonial rule. The country was united in 1990, but internal stability was never secured, and a civil war that lasted for roughly six months broke out in early 1994. Since then, the Government have worked hard for reconciliation between the north and south. I commend the efforts of the president and the Government.
As in many former colonial states, the Government must tackle further the problems related to decentralisation. Many tribesmen stay loyal to their local leaders rather than the central Government, who struggle to rule an area that initially was artificially created by western powers. The lack of governmental control and security in some areas has been made only more difficult by the country's geographical features. The western and southern parts of the country have long coastal strips along the Red sea and the Arabian sea respectively, whereas the inlands consist of mountains and highlands with a desert area to the east, making it 280WH easier for terrorists to pursue their illegal business, and for some tourists to he kidnapped, which has happened far too often in recent years.
Despite those challenges, in the past few years, the Government of Yemen have made significant progress in the fight against terrorism and their transition towards democracy. I do not try to conceal the horrors that occurred in Yemen at the beginning of the millennium. As most of us will remember, 17 US personnel were tragically killed when a suicide bomber attacked the US naval vessel USS Cole in Aden harbour in October 2000. In the same month, four Yemenis claimed to have been behind the bomb that exploded in the British embassy.
In the wake of 11 September, however, Yemen has shown significant commitment and co-operation in the international fight against terrorism. In November 2001, President Saleh visited the United States for talks with President George W. Bush. It was agreed that Yemen would freeze bank accounts of individuals believed to be associated with al-Qaeda, and that it would arrest suspected members. In February 2002, Yemen expelled more than 100 foreign Islamic scholars, including British and French nationals, as part of a crackdown on terror and suspected al-Qaeda members. The Government have also begun to tackle the problems of decentralisation by extending security measures to all districts beyond central areas.
Unfortunately, the attack on the French supertanker Limburg on 5 October last year refocused attention on Yemen as a base for international terrorism. Only a fortnight ago, on 18 March, an American, a Canadian and a Yemeni employed at a western oil firm were shot dead in the oil-rich province of Marib, about 170 km east of Sanaa. I would like to send my condolences and those of the House to the families of all who died.
Ruling a country is not an easy task, as we know, but Yemen is certainly more difficult to rule than other countries. President Saleh has a pivotal role, balancing the wishes of those who, like him, want to fight terrorism in co-operation with the west, and the priorities of tribal leaders. He has played a fragile hand impressively, offering the west great support while reassuring his tribal supporters. In my view and that of many others, he has been a good president.
Against that reality, it is easy to comprehend why Yemen has kept a low profile in the current Iraq conflict. I am assured that the Yemeni Government do not support the Iraqi regime but have a common position with the Arab League, believing that conflict is unjust and could have been avoided by using alternative solutions in tandem with a United Nations agreement. I, of course, disagree with that view, and fully support what my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is doing. However, I understand the position of Yemen and the Arab League.
My aim is not to dwell on current controversies, which clearly will have an effect on Yemen, but to talk about the situation in that country. As I mentioned, Yemen has not merely improved its record in combating terrorism but made gains in decentralisation. Yemen still has two parallel political systems: an ancient tribal system that is dependent on consensus, and an emerging democracy. The latter has advanced significantly. The 1997 general election, the second since the 1994 281WH reunification, was judged to be predominantly fair and free by independent observers. Local elections were introduced in 2001.
New general elections to the Yemeni Parliament will be held on 27 April, and British observers, including representatives of the British Parliament, have been invited to attend as spectators. I have accepted the ambassador's invitation to attend. However, as usual, I will take the Minister's advice on whether I should travel there. I would be glad if the Minister confirmed Foreign Office advice to all those—not just me, obviously—planning to travel to Yemen. Foreign Office travel advice has a huge effect on the tourist industry and the Yemeni Government want Yemen to be given the all-clear as soon as possible.
The majority party, the General People's Congress, has for the first time selected women candidates to represent it in the forthcoming elections. I welcome that decision. Some of the other parties, I am pleased to say, have also followed that route. Yemen, the first country in the region, has reformed its educational system extensively, eliminating the religious education programme and integrating 350,000 students into its general educational programme. Construction of a civil society has been encouraged, and several political parties, trade unions and human rights organisations have been formed. I deeply welcome all those developments and it is important that we persist. Yemen and Britain are bound together by history, and it is crucial that we should encourage and support our relations with Yemen. I acknowledge what both Governments have done recently in that respect. Dr. alQirdi, the Foreign Minister of Yemen, paid an official visit to the United Kingdom in March 2002, which was followed by Prime Minister Bajammal's visit in July.
In 2002, the British Government provided bilateral development assistance valued at about £2 million per annum. I have been informed that that sum is due to increase over the next few years. The Government also support Yemen indirectly—for instance, through multilateral aid programmes implemented by the World Bank—and since Yemeni unification, the European Union has committed more than €165 million to economic and social development.
Although those contributions are important, they are not sufficient to overcome all the problems faced by the Yemeni Government. To escape the poverty trap, Yemen must attract foreign direct investment and reduce its trade deficit. Using the most current figures available, UK exports to Yemen were valued at £73.5 million, whereas UK imports were worth only £4.8 million.
We must first help Yemen in its continuing struggle against terrorism. Only when security is complete will foreign companies be interested in investing in and trading with Yemen. At present, no British aid programme allocates funds for the fight against terrorism, and I urge the Minister to take immediate steps in that direction. The Minister may say that the Yemeni Government must demonstrate a greater will to deal with terrorism but I am assured that co-operation is available if it is asked for. In that respect, we should 282WH remember that the president, despite local difficulties and the need to balance the various interests, has always been receptive.
I would like Yemen to become part of the Commonwealth. I raised the matter with Don McKinnon, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, when I met him 10 days ago, and I would like to hear the Government's view on the matter. I believe that it would be in Yemen's interests, but also in the interests of the Commonwealth, to have for the first time an Arab country as a member.
I hope that in his reply the Minister will be positive about the relations between Britain and Yemen, and I look forward immensely to the next ministerial visit to Yemen. It is time that Yemen took its rightful place in international affairs.
§ Mr. Alan Duncan (Rutland and Melton)I am grateful to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) and to the Minister for allowing me to speak. My plight is that, although I have visited Yemen five times in the past six years, as a Front-Bench spokesman on foreign affairs, the rules of the House forbid me initiating a debate of this sort. I am glad that the hon. Member for Leicester, East has done so, and I agree with everything that he said. It was a helpful contribution to our relations with Yemen. I agree with him, even if he cannot sing the pop song, "Ya Mustapha, Ya Mustapha".
When it comes to Yemen, a few simple points need to be made. It has many elements of democracy to commend it. There is an increasingly solid unity between north and south. There are genuine attempts in the country to rein in al-Qaeda, yet there are difficulties in applying the writ of law to all corners of what is an intensely tribal country. However, we should bear it in mind that if we demand that it curtails unhelpful activities in Yemen, it will expect us to do the same here on matters that affect it.
As the hon. Gentleman said, a good case can be made for increased aid from the Department for International Development, and I am pleased to say that the Secretary of State is giving serious consideration to doing so. There is a lot of pressure for Yemen to join the Commonwealth.
If I could make only one point, it would be this. Whenever I visit Yemen, I find that the people there feel rather neglected by this country. The hon. Gentleman is the only person who has visited Yemen in a ministerial capacity during the past six years, and Yemen is longing to revive a deeper friendship. The country has an excellent ambassador here, and in Frances Guy we have a supremely effective and brave ambassador in Yemen.
I hope, as does the hon. Gentleman, that the Minister can say some reassuring words, with some intent, to enable our relations with that important country to be revived and enhanced in the years ahead.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Mike O'Brien)I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) on securing a debate on 283WH Government relations with Yemen. I welcome the opportunity that this debate presents to discuss our relations with a country that, as others have said, receives too little public attention. Yemen is rarely in the news in the west, and when it is, it is often for the wrong reasons. That does an injustice to a country that has worked hard since the civil war in 1994 to balance its economy and work out a strategy to alleviate its poverty and that, more recently, has made considerable efforts to root out terrorism. Yemen is an ancient country making a strong commitment to enter the modern world, and it gets little credit for it. It deserves more credit.
I hope to help to redress the balance to some extent today. I shall not pretend that Yemen does not face problems. Of course it does, and I shall touch on them, but if we work together, as old friends should, Yemen can have a better future. I want to talk about that long friendship, the difficulties that Yemen faces and what we can do to help.
The Republic of Yemen is a modern state formed on 22 May 1990 from the unification of the former communist South Yemen and the Arab republic of North Yemen, but Yemen has existed in one form or another for thousands of years. As my hon. Friend said, the Yemeni province of Marib may once have been the site of the legendary kingdom of the Queen of Sheba. That may help to explain why many Yemeni women are keen to be involved in the political process, a point that I shall return to if I have the chance.
Britain has had a long connection with Yemen and many of the friendships formed during the time of the Aden protectorate from 1839 to 1967 remain intact. I am pleased that we have been able to help with the restoration of the "Little Ben" clock in Aden, a fitting symbol of the timeless nature of our relations.
The origins of the Yemeni community in the United Kingdom can be traced back to 1885. It was the first Arab community to settle in the UK in any number. Yemenis have worked on board British merchant navy ships and have settled in Cardiff, London, Sheffield and Birmingham. There are now between 30,000 and 40,000 in the Yemeni community in this country. The community has been and remains an active and important part of our society. That is one reason why I hoped to repeat my hon. Friend's visit to Yemen. Indeed, I intended to go there in March. However, following the deterioration in the security situation, which was reflected in our travel advice, I was advised that it was not safe to go. I hope to visit as soon as the security situation improves. I have told our ambassador there, Frances Guy—I agree with the comments of the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan)about her—that I intend to visit as soon as I can. Unfortunately, our travel advice is still not to go. I hope that that will change soon.
Yemen has not had an easy history. Periods of peace were punctuated by invasion and internal strife. The civil war in 1994 was a reminder of the troubled past. The divisions that remain in Yemen are the roots of modern-day problems, which are fuelled by the widespread availability of small arms. It is estimated that there are about 40 million small arms in circulation—two for every man, woman and child. That gives Yemen the dubious honour of having the highest number of weapons per capita in the world.
284WH The wide availability of weapons undoubtedly makes Yemen an attractive staging post for terrorists, who also take advantage of the misplaced hospitality of some local tribes in areas where central Government's writ does not run. Yemen is a victim of terrorism. Al-Qaeda and groups and individuals sympathetic to its aims have operated in Yemen. The attacks on the American destroyer USS Cole and the French tanker the Limburg were undeniable proof of that. As long as that scourge remains, Yemen's reputation will be tarnished.
Security also affects trade and investment. There are good opportunities in Yemen, but companies naturally want to be sure that their investment and their staff are safe. Corruption and the legal framework also put off some would-be investors.
Some have questioned our travel advice, although I do not accept that our assessment of the security environment is too harsh, not least in the light of the tragic shootings in Marib last month and the murder of three American aid workers in Jiblah in December. However, we keep the situation under close review. I would dearly love to be able to recommend that UK nationals visit that most beautiful and fascinating of countries, but only when the security environment has improved and it is safe for them to do so.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. President Saleh has given his commitment to fight terrorism, and I welcome the actions that the Yemenis have already taken. We stand ready to help where we can. Since 1994, Yemen has taken pains to make peace with all its neighbours. The most significant agreement was that with Saudi Arabia in June 2000. The demarcation of the border continues peacefully, despite running through some of the most disputed tribal areas. That success is a great tribute to both countries.
However, defeating today's terrorists is only part of the solution. We also need to ensure that we address the causes of terrorism and extremism. Yemen is woefully underdeveloped and is one of the poorest countries in the world outside Africa. Yemen is ranked 144th out of 173 countries in the 2002 human development index. More than 15 per cent. of the population are forced to survive on less than $1 a day, and 45 per cent. have under $2 a day. Infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world. Illiteracy among women is a staggering 74.7 per cent., and 32.5 per cent. among men.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund approved the Yemen Government's poverty reduction strategy paper at the end of July 2002. The paper sets out the major development challenges for Yemen, which are bringing population growth under control, controlling internal migration, dealing with the rapidly increasing labour market, decreasing the gender gap, enhancing opportunities for women, reducing child labour, managing diminishing water supplies, improving access to health care and education, reforming public administration, tackling endemic corruption and improving the security situation—a daunting list. However. Yemen deserves support for its efforts to tackle those problems, its attempts to decrease poverty and its hard work in improving its democracy. DFID has for many years had substantial support and investment in Yemen, and we propose to continue that.
Things are not all doom and gloom in Yemen. Yemen's achievements are not always recognised in the west, especially those to do with political reform. This 285WH month's parliamentary elections will be Yemen's third since reunification. Yemen has made significant progress in providing a modern representative system of government. Women can vote and stand as candidates for Parliament, which is a genuine debating chamber. Opposition parties have a voice in the media. Women and men—up to 92 per cent.—are registered to vote; more than 3.5 million women, as well as nearly all the men, are registered in Yemen. That is a considerable achievement.
The final list of candidates for the elections is being drawn up now, and I hope that all the political parties in Yemen will give women a chance to stand as candidates. For the first time, voters in Yemen will be faced with a simple choice between the governing party and the coalition against it. I welcome President Saleh's commitment to ensuring that the elections will be the freest and the fairest in Yemen's history. I share the dream of a safe and secure Yemen, a Yemen with an enviable democratic pedigree and strong democratic institutions, a prosperous Yemen where poverty is a thing of the past. I hope to be able to visit Yemen soon. I believe that with the support and good will of its many friends in the international community the Yemenis can make their dream of a prosperous and democratic Yemen come true.
§ Sitting suspended until Two o'clock.