[03/04/2018 05:57]

GENEVA-SABA
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdul-Malik Al-Mekhlafihas discussed with top UN officials the efforts for bringing peace to Yemen.

Al-Mekhlafi held the discussions with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock ,and the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths.

Al-Mekhlafiaffirmed the Yemeni government's support for the new envoy Griffiths' efforts to achieve a just and sustainable peace in Yemen in accordance with the three agreed terms of reference for peace; the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, the Gulf Initiative and the UNSC resolutions including resolution no. 2216.

He stressed that the war in Yemen was never the choice of the government, but was imposed by the Houthi rebels.

He said that the government remains committed to facilitating the access of humanitarian aid to all areas of Yemen without exception.

He cited the massive humanitarian aid plan set by the government with the Arab coalition which delivered humanitarian aid to Yemen through all the country's ports of entry and reached out to the beneficiaries everywhere across the country.

He said that in the outlines of any peace plan there should be steps for building trust and addressing the urgent issue of detainees release, ending the siege on Taiz city, resuming the payment of salaries,and stopping rocket attacks and hostility acts, which are very essential create an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of consultations to reach a political solution.

Al-Mekhfalihighly appreciated the Secretary-General's support for peace and humanitarian aid to Yemen andthe sponsoring of a humanitarian aid pledge conference for Yemen in Geneva.

For his part,Guterres expressed his confidence that the new UN envoy would receive every possible support from Yemen to succeed in his mission to revitalize peace talks, which have been stalled since the last round of Kuwait talks in August 2016.

Guterres said Yemen has a special significant for him since he worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the United Nations. He said he had visited Yemen many times and saw for himself how Yemen warmly welcomed the refugees from the Horn of Africa and allowed them to integrate into the Yemeni society. He said that such people of Yemen deserve work and cooperation to alleviate its suffering.

---