The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, confirmed on Friday his intention to engage in “serious and ongoing discussions” to resolve the country’s crisis.
Grundberg’s office said in a statement, which Anadolu received a copy of, that it “concluded a visit to Riyadh, where he met (Yemeni) President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, his deputy, Ali Mohsen, the Speaker of Parliament, Sultan al-Barakani, the Prime Minister, Moeen Abdul Malik, and Foreign Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak.”.
According to the statement, Grundberg affirmed, during his meeting with Mansour, his “determination to listen to the parties and engage in serious and ongoing discussions on ways to move forward towards a comprehensive political settlement that reflects the aspirations of Yemeni men and women.”
He stressed that “a serious commitment by all parties to engage in good faith is a necessary first step to making progress in the efforts of the United Nations for peace.”
Grundberg exchanged views with representatives of political parties on ways to revive the political process, according to the statement.
The UN envoy also met, in Riyadh, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Nayef Al-Hajraf, Saudi officials and ambassadors of the permanent members of the Security Council to Yemen.
And on Wednesday, Grundberg arrived in Riyadh on his first visit since taking office officially in early September.
Yemen has been witnessing a war for nearly 7 years, which has killed more than 233,000 people, and 80 percent of the population, numbering about 30 million, has become dependent on support and aid, in the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations.
The conflict has had regional spillovers, since March 2015, as a coalition led by the neighboring Saudi Arabia has carried out military operations in support of the government forces, in the face of the Iranian-backed Houthis, who control several governorates, including the capital, Sanaa.
