The Kuwaiti-Yemeni ministerial joint committee has ratified 11 new protocols and agreements to increase cooperation in technical training, trade, security, culture and justice.

At a meeting held in Yemen's capital Aden, the country's foreign minister Dr Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi signed agreements with the Kuwaiti deputy prime minister and foreign minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem, solidifying comprehensive bilateral relations.

The Yemen Times reports that the new agreements build on a longstanding oil trading relationship that began in the early 1980s and has been strengthened many times since.

Among the new agreements signed was a commitment to upgrade Yemen's power infrastructure as part of a $30 million (£21 million) project.

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti officials also agreed to fund the construction of the Socotra community college, which is to be a cornerstone development providing robust technical training opportunities to Yemeni citizens to prepare them for work in national industries.

The Energy Information Administration notes that the Yemeni economy is currently highly dependent on oil export revenues, which account for 84 per cent of total exports.

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