ISLAMABAD: Pakistan fully supports diplomatic efforts being undertaken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for ensuring peace and stability in Yemen, the Pakistani foreign office said on Friday.

The development comes days after an agreement between Yemen’s Houthi group and its internationally recognized government to exchange nearly 3,000 prisoners, which Riyadh hailed as a crucial humanitarian measure to help alleviate human suffering and foster confidence-building in Yemen.

The deal came after nearly a fortnight of discussions between Yemeni officials from both sides in Muscat, the capital of neighboring Oman, a key mediator in the conflict that has lasted for more than a decade.

The Pakistani foreign office underscored the need to uphold unity and territorial integrity of Yemen, expressing hope that Yemeni stakeholders will avoid any unilateral steps and urging all parties to engage constructively toward an inclusive, negotiated political solution of the conflict.

“Pakistan expresses its hope that the ongoing diplomatic efforts will result in concrete steps toward achieving lasting peace in the country, and in bringing an end to the suffering of the Yemeni people,” it said in a statement.

“We also commend the efforts of the UAE in this regard.”

United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg in a statement welcomed the agreement as “a positive and meaningful step that will hopefully ease the suffering of detainees and their families across Yemen.”

On Thursday, Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber met with a negotiating delegation concerned with detainees in the country and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s continued support for the complete release of all detainees, abductees and forcibly disappeared persons from all parties, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the meeting, he emphasized the importance of completing implementation procedures, exchanging lists and records, and expediting the execution of the agreed mechanism for the exchange process.