LONDON: The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said on Thursday it was committed to stopping military operations inside Yemen in response to a request from the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, state TV reported.
Abdulaziz Hamad al-Owaishek, the GCC Assistant Secretary for political affairs and negotiations also said the invitation extended to Yemen’s Houthi militia remained on the table.
“We hope the consultations represent an opportunity to achieve peace in Yemen,” he told reporters.
The coalition said its air forces had not carried out combat operations inside Yemen, adding it was taking all steps to make the cessation of military operations a success and to achieve comprehensive peace.
UK ambassador to Yemen, Richard Oppenheim, said Britain welcomed the GCC-led talks and called on Yemeni parties to seize the chance for peace.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s prime minster, Maeen Abdulmalik, met with the special envoy of the UN secretary general to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to discuss the UN’s proposal to alleviate people’s suffering and revive the political process of establishing peace.
The conversation between the two parties also highlighted points discussed during the negotiations held in Riyadh regarding the conflict in Yemen.
Abdulmalik reiterated the government's full support for the UN envoy's efforts to de-escalate the situation in Yemen.
He said the government had never supported the obstruction of peace in the country, but has rather been an advocate for all peace proposals and efforts.
“The problem is that the Houthi militia has never sought peace, continued to reject all calls for dialogue, the most recent one is the GCC's call for Riyadh consultations, they even refuse to receive the UN's envoy in Sanaa,” said the prime minister.
Grundberg highlighted Yemen’s need to urgently reach a truce as Ramadan approached, stressing the importance of resuming peace talks in order to find solutions to the economic hardships that Yemenis face daily.
