US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday America and Yemen face a “common threat” by Al Qaeda.
“We face a common threat by the terrorists and Al Qaeda,” Clinton told reporters at the Presidential Palace in Sana’a.
Her remarks followed talks with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana’a where she made a brief stopover.
“But our partnership goes beyond counter-terrorism,” she added.
“We are focused not just on short-term threats but long-term challenges,” Clinton said.
Clinton arrived in Sana’a from the United Arab Emirates, where Monday she held talks on the first stop of a five-day tour of the Gulf region. Her visit to Sana’a was expected to last just a few hours before she continues her tour, with stops in Qatar and Oman scheduled later on.
This is the first visit to the Arabian Peninsula country by a US Secretary of State in 20 years.
Clinton is scheduled to meet with Yemeni opposition figures and leaders of the civil society during her visit.