Foreign Minister chairs joint GCC ministerial meeting with Yemeni counterpart

Riyadh, Sept. 16 (BNA): Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the current GCC Session, HE Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani, today chaired the joint ministerial meeting between Their Highnesses and Excellencies GCC Foreign Ministers and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the brotherly Republic of Yemen, HE Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak. The meeting, held in Riyadh, on the sidelines of the 149th session of the GCC Ministerial Council, was attended by and the GCC Secretary General, HE Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf. The Minister of Foreign Affairs gave a statement, expressing the GCC countries' firm support for the legitimate leadership in the brotherly Republic of Yemen, led by HE President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and their determination to continue supporting the legitimate leadership to achieve the aspirations of the brotherly Yemeni people for peace, security, stability and prosperity. He took pride in the great efforts made by the Coalition, led by the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to support the Yemeni legitimacy, defend the sovereignty, independence, safety and unity of Yemen, and deter the ongoing attacks by the Houthi terrorist group on Saudi civilians and civilian objects. He stressed the importance of a political solution to the crisis in accordance with the approved references, represented in the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism, the outcomes of the comprehensive national dialogue and Security Council Resolution 2216. HE Dr. Zayani said the continuation of the Yemeni crisis, with its tragedies and pains, is due to the insistence of the Houthi terrorist group who want to bring under their control a number of Yemeni governorates, committing many vicious attacks and violations of all international laws and international humanitarian law in particular. He commended the generous initiative announced by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia last March on a ceasefire in the brotherly Republic of Yemen under the UN supervision to reach a political solution to the crisis. The initiative, he said, proves the Kingdom's keenness to stop the bloodshed and end the sufferings of the brotherly Yemeni people in line with its continuous efforts to maintain security and stability in the region and protect the interests of the region’s countries and peoples. The Minister added that defeating the Houthi project in Yemen is a national duty for the people of Yemen and requires unified national efforts and a common stand by all societal groups, harnessing various potentials and capabilities. He called on the Yemeni brothers to implement the Riyadh Agreement, shun differences, work with the agreed mechanisms, give priority to the high interest of the Yemeni people, halt the bloodshed and bridge the rift between the Yemeni components. For his part, HE Dr. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak stressed that since the Houthi coup against the legitimate authority on September 21, 2014, the Republic of Yemen has been going through the worst political, security, political and economic crisis in its contemporary history as a result of the war waged by the Houthi militia against the Yemeni people. He said the GCC brothers have realized the danger of the Iranian-backed Houthi coup on the constitutional legitimacy in Yemen and its repercussions on the region and therefore, the coalition to support legitimacy, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was quickly formed in March 2015 at the request of the President of the Republic of Yemen, Field Marshal Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. It was formed, he added, with the aim of supporting and empowering the legitimate government to restore the state, end the coup, and reinstate security and stability throughout Yemen.