Surprise Yemen visit

Westerwelle was the first European minister to visit Yemen since a branch of Al-Qaeda in the country claimed responsibility for a failed Christmas Day airline bomb plot.

His talks with President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Foreign Minister Abubakr Abdallah Al Kirbi in the capital, Sanaa, came at the end of a tour of the Arabian peninsula, in which he also visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

"Based on his talks in the Gulf, Westerwelle made the quick decision to go to Yemen and get a sense of the situation on the ground," a member of the German delegation told reporters.

Destabilization "spreads terror"

The foreign minister was concerned that destablilization in Yemen could help fuel the spread of terrorism, the official said. Westerwelle has previously warned that Yemen is a sanctuary for terrorists.

After informing European allies and Washington of his visit, he is believed to have delivered a message calling for stable government in the country. Yemen is under scrutiny after it was revealed that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man who allegedly tried to blow up a US-bound jet on Christmas Day, prepared for his mission in Yemen.

Call to deal with disputes

The official said that Westerwelle would also "press for good governance," try to address the issue of corruption in Yemen and call for dialogue to resolve internal disputes. The government is engaged in conflicts with separatists in the north and south of the country, as well as with Al-Qaeda militants.

Germany is the biggest European contributor of aid to Yemen by far, with about 79 million euros ($114 million) set aside for the country for 2010 to 2011. The country is the poorest on the Arabian Peninsula.

Following talks, Westerwelle said that the Yemeni government had revealed that it knew the whereabouts of five Germans, including three children, who were kidnapped in the country six months ago.

rc/AFP/Reuters/dpa/apn
Editor: Chuck Penfold