Yemen will not extradite Anwar Al-Awlaki to the U.S. because the man is now wanted by the national government due to his recent terrorist activity, Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi has said.

The man the U.S. wants to be extradited must stand trial in Yemen under the national law because he is now wanted by the Yemeni government due to his recent terrorist activity, the minister said in an interview with the Kuwaiti Al-Dar Newspaper.

Yemen's position over handing the man to the U.S. is clear and firm because we refuse to hand our people to other countries, he affirmed.

The minister also denied there was a Syrian initiative to reconcile the Yemeni parties.

What Syrians did in this regard was offering suggestions to start dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition, he said.

Moreover, al-Qirbi highlighted the condition of the secessionist movement in the south saying the movement receives financial support from separatists who gained wealth after the 1994 separation war.

There are also Yemenis swerving and spreading the culture of hatred among the Yemeni people and using the case of the south at the expense of their country's interest, he said.

But we assure that the government is able to address all issues in the best interest of the Yemeni people and bring all outlaws and criminals to justice, he concluded.