Yemen Foreign Ministry on Tuesday denied reports that Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Kurbi renews an offer to open dialogue with al-Qaida loyalists in his country, state-run news agency Saba reported.
"What some Arab and foreign media reports regarding this issue are contradicted with the remarks of Foreign Minister al-Kurbi during the press conference that held on Tuesday," Saba quoted unidentified spokesman of the Foreign Ministry as saying.
He said the remarks of al-Kurbi was not a renewable offer, but rather clearly repeated what President Ali Abdullah Saleh had stated before and there are a variety of means to counter the threat of terrorism, including intellectual dialogue.
"The would-be dialogue with al-Qaida is a part of a program adopted by the government to open the door for those deceived elements to renounce violence and return to the right path and get involved in their community as good citizens," said the spokesman.