World powers in London agreed to help Yemen combat poverty, unemployment and terrorism.

Yemen and its international partners pledged to fight al-Qaeda side by side with fighting poverty unemployment and corruption.

The international community can and must do more, Clinton

“To help the people of Yemen, we - the international community - can and must do more. And so must the Yemeni government,” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the international conference in London, adding that bringing unity and stability to Yemen was an urgent national priority.

Clinton said that military action alone would not be enough, adding that the international community would work with Yemen to promote human rights, build democratic institutions and combat corruption. She urged the Yemeni government to enact its 10-point reform program to lessen the influence of extremist groups. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who chaired the London Conference, told reporters afterwards that it was “an important step forward” and warned that the “root causes” of militancy must be tackled.

Miliband announced five items agreed at the meeting, including the agreement to start talks on an IMF program for Yemen, more engagement with its security challenges and confirmation from Yemen that it will “pursue its reform agenda.” He also announced a follow-up donors’ meeting in Riyadh on February 27 and 28.

Prior to the meeting, Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis said the meeting was important because Yemen was “not a failed state” but “an incredibly fragile state.”

Prime Minister Ali Mujawar welcomed the international support, but said it was “unacceptable” to portray Yemen as a failed state and warned against any violations of its sovereignty. Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi said that Yemen wanted “international support to build infrastructure, combat poverty and create jobs, as well as support in combating terrorism.”

But he told the BBC that the idea of US military bases on Yemeni soil was “inconceivable.”

The London meeting lasted for only two hours on the eve of the international conference on Afghanistan in the British capital. Some British lawmakers have charged that the briefness meant they were merely a gimmick.

The conference results were seen as fruitful by many Yemeni political analysts, while some others underscored its outcomes.

Sana’a University Vice Director Professor Ahmad al-Kibsi said that the London Conference was a great victory for Yemen and that the conference has clarified the world’s concern about Yemen’s unity, security and stability, particularly the statement made by Hillary Clinton in which she affirmed the international community’s desire for these, as well. “What is more important was that she said that any internal conflicts in Yemen should be solved through the elections boxes,” said Professor al-Kibsi.

Abdullah al-Hadhrami, an ex-editor-in-chief of al-Methaq newspaper thinks that the London summit is positive in principal; However, its results are negative in that it throws the ball into Riyad’s field to host a donor conference and address Yemen’s problems.

Abdul Elah Haidar Shaye’e, an expert in terrorism affairs, feels that the London Conference’s outcomes are not practical; they were just preparatory to Riyad summit that will results in practical programs.

The London talks brought together ministers and officials from 21 Western and Arab countries including the United States, Britain, Russia, Egypt and Turkey, in addition to the Gulf States.