GCC foreign ministers issue statement on Yemen

Riyadh (Saba) - The Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Member States have held an extraordinary
meeting of the Ministerial Council of GCC Foreign Ministers to complete the results of the extraordinary meeting they held here last week to help the Yemen parties to come
out of the current crisis.
The meeting was chaired by UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammad Qarqash and was attended by Prince Sa'ud al-Faysal, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Bahraini Foreign Minister Shaykh Khalid Bin-Ahmad Bin-Muhammad Al Khalifah, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaykh Hamad Bin-Jasim Bin-Jabr Al Thani, Omani Minister
Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf Bin-Alawi Bin-Abdallah, Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr Muhammad Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah and GCC Secretary-General
Dr Abd-al-Latif Bin-Rashid Al-Zayani.
At the end of the meeting, the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council of the Arab Gulf States read the following statement: The Ministerial Council reviewed the latest
developments in Yemen in the light of what was agreed on by the GCC Ministerial Council meeting in its thirty-first extraordinary session, which was held on April 3, 2011,
concerning making contacts with the Yemeni government and opposition through the initiative of the GCC to overcome the status quo.
Within the framework of the contacts and consultations in this regard by the ambassadors of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Sana'a with all parties concerned within the
framework of the GCC initiative, the GCC countries invite the Yemeni government and the opposition parties to meet in Saudi Arabia under the umbrella of the Cooperation Council
for the Arab Gulf States, according to the following principles: 1- The solution that will result from this agreement shall lead to maintaining the unity of Yemen and its
security and stability.
2- The agreement shall meet the aspirations of the Yemeni people for change and reform.
3- The transfer of power shall be carried out in a smooth and safe way saving Yemen from slipping into anarchy and violence within national consensus.
4- All parties shall adhere to removing political and security elements of tension.
5- All parties shall commit to ceasing all forms of retaliation and prosecution through guarantees and undertakings given for this purpose.
According to the following executive steps: 1- The President of the Republic shall announce the transfer of powers to the Vice-President of the Republic.
2- A government of national unity shall be formed under the chairmanship of the opposition and shall have the right to form specialized committees and councils to run the
country politically, militarily and economically, to write a constitution and hold elections.
The Council reiterated its concern at the continuing situation of political tension and the serious deterioration of the security situation in Yemen and expressed deep regret
over the continued falling of victims, stressing at the same time, its commitment to the unity and stability of Yemen and its territorial integrity and its respect of the
will and the choices of the Yemeni people for the protection of civil peace and for security and stability in Yemen and its national gains.