GCC ambassador to Yemen says decisions at peace talks in hands of Yemenis

A general view shows talks on Yemen's war hosted by the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh on March 30. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 04 April 2022
Follow

GCC ambassador to Yemen says decisions at peace talks in hands of Yemenis

  • Al-Minaikher said the talks aim to include all Yemeni parties and the door remains open for any party to join

RIYADH: Decisions made at ongoing Yemen peace talks sponsored by the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh are for Yemenis to make and will be supported, the council’s ambassador for the crisis-stricken country said on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference, Sarhan Al-Minaikher said the bloc “will support all decisions that Yemenis agree on” and that the talks are giving Yemenis a platform for dialogue.

He said that although participants were still discussing obstacles and had not reached the solution-forming stage, they agreed on strengthening state institutions.

The GCC envoy added that the peace talks are not a substitute for UN negotiations and do not aim to pressurize. Instead, they aim to establish dialogue between Yemenis.

Al-Minaikher said the talks aim to include all Yemeni parties and the door remains open for any party to join.

“We stand by the Yemenis in resolving the current crisis and we aim to establish security, safety, and stability in the country,” Al-Minaikher said.


Italy urges its citizens to leave Iran, be vigilant across Middle East

Updated 58 min 22 sec ago
Follow

Italy urges its citizens to leave Iran, be vigilant across Middle East

  • The ministry said travel to Iraq and Lebanon was also strongly discouraged
  • It advised Italian nationals in Israel ⁠to exercise maximum caution

ROME: Italy’s foreign ministry on Friday urged its citizens to leave Iran and advised extreme caution across the Middle East, citing persistently unstable security conditions.
“Italians in (Iran) for tourism or whose presence is not strictly necessary are urged to depart,” ⁠the ministry said ⁠in a statement, adding that travel to Iraq and Lebanon was also strongly discouraged.
It advised Italian nationals in Israel ⁠to exercise maximum caution and remain vigilant.
Several governments have issued similar warnings in recent days. Britain said on Friday it had temporarily withdrawn its staff from Iran and closed its embassy amid rising regional tensions.
The United States ⁠has ⁠built up a large military presence across the Middle East ahead of a possible strike on Iran, as talks between the two countries over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions continue with no sign of a breakthrough.