President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright have extended their congratulations to the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen on the occasion of the border agreement signed between the two countries June 12 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher.

Following is the text of Boucher's June 20 statement:

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman

June 20, 2000

Statement by Richard A Boucher, Spokesman

Border Agreement Between Saudi Arabia and Yemen

The Department of State congratulates the people and governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen on the occasion of the border agreement signed between the two countries on June 12 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

President Clinton has extended his congratulations to the leaders of both countries. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has sent her congratulations to Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia and to Prime Minister Abdulkarim al Iryani of Yemen.

We are pleased that decades of mistrust have been overcome with the resolution of the border issue, and we believe that the agreement will serve to enhance security and prosperity in both countries. Both sides' determination to resolve the border issue gives hope for greater stability of the entire region.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. )