RIYADH: Kuwait, Bahrain and the Arab Parliament have welcomed the Saudi-Omani efforts to find a comprehensive solution to the Yemeni crisis, the Saudi Press Agency said early Monday.
Statements by the Kuwaiti and Bahraini foreign ministries commended the mediators' invitation to the rival Yemeni groups to resume talks on the ceasefire agreement and to reach a solution that all sides agree on under the auspices of the United Nations.
Earlier reports said a 10-strong delegation from the Iran-backed Houthi militia flew to Riyadh for their first talks in the Kingdom since the war began in 2014.
The first round of the Oman-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sanaa, which are running in parallel to UN peace efforts, was held in April when Saudi envoys visited Sanaa.
A UN-brokered ceasefire is largely holding, despite having officially lapsed last October.
Kuwait reiterated its full support for all regional and international efforts to resolve the crisis in accordance with an initiative previously launched by the Gulf Cooperation Council, and in line with relevant UN resolutions.
Bahrain stressed its backing for the initiative announced by Saudi Arabia in March 2021 to end the Yemeni crisis through a comprehensive peace settlement.
Arab Parliament chief Adel Al-Asoumi said he looks forward for things to proceed in a way that enables the Yemenis to end the war they have lived in for years and during which they suffered from difficult humanitarian conditions.
He added that since the beginning of the conflict, Saudi Arabia has been leading great efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis, and striving to work to defuse the conflict between the Yemenis and bring Yemen to safety and stability.
Al-Asoumi likewise praised the tireless efforts made by Oman to bring the views between all concerned parties.
Yemen was plunged into war when the Houthis overran the capital Sanaa in a coup in September 2014.
A Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened on behalf of the internationally recognized government the following March.
The ensuing fighting has forced millions from their homes, and caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises in a country already devastated by decades of conflict and upheaval.
UN agencies and 91 NGOs said on Thursday that 21.6 million people — 75 percent of the population — needed humanitarian assistance.
The six-month ceasefire that expired last October is still mostly observed but moves towards peace have been slow since the Saudi delegation visited Sanaa in April.
