Sana'a, 4 May, 1990

(Extracts from minutes of joint meeting between the two prime ministers, Abd al-Aziz Abd al-Ghani, Prime Minister and General Committee member, and Dr Yasin Sa'id Nu'man)

(1) Currency: Since currency is an expression of the state's national sovereignty, total agreement has been reached to organise the currency of the unity state to guarantee the protection of the Yemeni Republic's national economy and the interests of citizens, individuals and public institutions and companies.

Based on this broad national base, agreement has been reached to organise the future of the national currency. Proceeding from this, agreement has been reached to consider the rial and dinar the currency of the united homeland that can circulate in both parts of the homeland as of the date of this document. In accordance with this, the two currencies become legal tender in all parts of the Yemeni homeland at the rate of 26 rials to one dinar.

This agreement also means the two currencies will be used at the specified exchange rate in all trade and banking transactions and as a means of payments to citizens. To organise action in accordance with this, the Bank of Yemen and the Yemeni Central Bank have been entrusted with taking the necessary practical steps to guarantee implementation. Stemming from this agreement, the meeting made its decisions concerning the monetary policy of the unity state and organising its national currency.

(2) The Budget: The two finance ministers are charged with discussing and preparing the unity state's budget for the period from the declaration until the end of the year on condition that these discussions and preparations are finalised by 20 May.

(3) Transport and Communications: Approval of both minutes of the meeting signed by the ministers of transport and public works and transportation regarding the two airlines and the two communications authorities. The two minutes will be considered the basis for merging the two airlines and the communications authorities.

(4) Civil and Military Service:

1. The ministers will conclude discussion of the laws on employee affairs and their employment situation in accordance with organisational lists and structures by 15 May 1990, starting with the post of general director and below. The higher positions will be left up to the decision of the political leadership. The lists will be prepared in such a way as to absorb all employees in the existing institutions.

2. The ministers will set a schedule for the movement of workers from Aden to Sana'a and vice versa, in accordance with their qualifications, on condition that the schedule for finalising the move does not exceed six months at most, starting from the day the unity state is declared.

3. The general framework for the salary and wage scales given by the Ministries of Civil Service and Finance was approved. The civil service and finance ministers are charged with finalising the details of the salary and wage scales no later than 15 May 1990.

4. In light of the prime ministers' decisions at the Ta'izz meeting to grant greater privileges to the ministerial branches in Aden - since it is the economic capital - to perform part of the duties of the central organs, ministerial offices will be set up with privileges determined by the cabinet of the unity state.

5. The files on the employment cadres will be reordered and moved to Sana'a, along with archives on all agreements, treaties and commitments of the unity state, as well as others that will result. The ministers will be asked to define and prepare the move in the appropriate manner. As for the secret archive and similar documents, they will be sealed with red wax and kept in all branches of work centres that will be transferred to the unity state's capital. They must not be opened afterwards except by decision of the unity state's cabinet in keeping with the need to use them.

(5) Travel and Residence: The committee entrusted with preparing ideas and presenting suggestions on the travel and residence of the leadership and administration cadres from Aden to the capital, Sana'a, and vice versa, presented a paper containing the general basics. The paper will be studied and a decision will made by the two prime ministers. The committee entrusted with preparing ideas and presenting suggestions on the travel and residence of the leadership and administration cadres from Aden to the capital, Sana'a, and vice versa, presented a paper containing the general basics. The paper will be studied and a decision will made by the two prime ministers.

(6) The ministers of justice and legal affairs will be entrusted with outlining the draft laws to be presented to parliament for approval during its first round, especially the laws concerning the declaration of the unity state. These draft laws will be submitted to the two prime ministers before 15 May 1990.

(7) The Decisions of the Cabinets' Second Meeting: All the brother ministers and experts are asked to finish the work entrusted to them by the decisions of the second meeting of the two cabinets in Aden 20-22 March 1990, before 15 May 1990.