MEDIATION CAN PREVENT INTERFERENCE IN YEMEN AFFAIRS: AL-QIRBI

SANA'A, March 28 (Saba)- Yemen believes that mediation can help
reach a solution in the country by preventing interference in its
affairs, Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi has said in an interview
with Al Jazeera news satellite channel.

"If there is mediation to prevent others from interfering in Yemeni
affairs, these will help resolve the inter-Yemeni issues", al-Qirbi
added.

Asked how he expects the Arab summit to deal with Israel's
insistence on continuing its settlement plans, al-Qirbi said:
"Netanyahu is now in a very difficult situation after the failure of
his visit to the United States. He expected Zionist lobby to be able
to force the US administration to follow the usual past path".

"Yemen attends this summit knowing the positions the Arab countries
adopt towards Yemen. These positions were underscored at more than
one Arab ministerial meeting and more than one Arab summit or
bilateral meeting on the summit level between the president and
others. All underscore the need to maintain the unity and stability
of Yemen. They say Yemeni issues should be resolved by the Yemenis
themselves because all Yemeni parties are responsible for finding
solutions to them".

The Yemeni official affirmed that the cessation of war in Saada and
the efforts being made to address the situation in the far north
through the committees formed by the government are an internal
affair.

Finally asked if this means the Yemeni government accepts no Arab or
foreign mediation, al-Qirbi said: "The issue of mediations and their
success depends on the concerned parties. If the parties have a real
desire to agree and reach solutions, mediations will succeed".

On the way the Arabs can benefit from the current rift in US-Israeli
relations to serve their interests, the Yemeni official said:
"First, we must support Palestinian steadfastness in Jerusalem and
confront Israel's attempts to further Judaize the city and change
its identity", adding that this can be done by extending funds to
Jerusalemites to enable them to stay on their land and to rebuild
the Palestinian houses that were destroyed.

"The second point is looking for legal methods through which the
international community can move. These begin with the International
Court of Justice and end with the UN Security Council. I believe
that the Security Council should assume its responsibility because
the situation in the Palestinian territories and the suspension of
the peace process threaten regional and international peace and
security. Therefore, the Security Council should issue resolutions
against Israel on all these issues. The third point is that we
should enhance the US position, which is now dealing with the issue
from the perspective of justice and eagerness to achieve peace for
both Israel and the Arabs".

Asked why the Arabs do not threaten to withdraw their peace
initiative, al-Qirbi said to Al Jazeera TV: "I do not think it is
time to withdraw the Arab peace initiative although it is now
frozen".

YA