ISLAMABAD: Pakistan appreciated Saudi Arabia’s “timely” role in promoting peace in Yemen, reiterating its support for a political solution to the crisis, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement on Monday as both warring sides in the Middle Eastern country make headway in peace talks.
Pakistan’s statement comes in the backdrop of last week’s cross-border exchange of prisoners between the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen and the country’s Iran-backed Houthi militia. Yemen’s government and the Houthis agreed in Switzerland last month to exchange nearly 900 detainees during Ramadan and to meet again to consider further exchanges.
The prisoner exchange in Yemen happened as Saudi Arabia renewed its efforts to mediate a peace settlement between the Houthis and the Yemeni government and bring an end to more than eight years of fighting.
In a statement, Pakistan’s foreign office welcomed the recent dialogue and diplomatic engagement in Yemen, particularly highlighting Riyadh’s role and endeavors in “reinforcing the efforts of the Sultanate of Oman and the UN Special Envoy for Yemen.”
“The Saudi efforts toward an amicable resolution of the Yemeni crisis, we believe, are timely and would promote peace, stability and development in the region,” MoFA said. “Pakistan reiterates its principled support for a political solution to the Yemeni crisis through dialogue and consultation.”
Saudi efforts for peace appear to have taken new impetus from a landmark rapprochement deal announced with Iran last month in Beijing. The China-brokered agreement calls for both countries to fully restore diplomatic ties following a seven-year rupture, and has the potential to remake regional ties.
Saudi Arabia is also pushing for the reintegration into the Arab League of Iran ally Syria, more than a decade after its suspension over President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
The kingdom’s ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber, personally discussed a peace plan with the Houthis in Sanaa earlier this month and is scheduled to return to the city to resolve outstanding issues.
