Abu Dhabi- The UAE, the main partner in a Saudi-led military coalition intervening in Yemen to uphold the legitimacy of the internationally recognised government, said Sunday it backs UN-brokered talks in Geneva between the country’s warring sides.
The United Nations envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, on Thursday told the Security Council that “a political solution” to end the war in Yemen was “available” and that the warring sides would be invited to talks on September 6 in Geneva.
“We have always been in support of the special envoy, we are going to continue to do so,” UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashemi told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
UN-brokered negotiations on Yemen broke down in 2016 amid demands for a militia withdrawal from key cities and power-sharing with the Saudi-backed government.
Griffiths told the Security Council that he was “still trying” to negotiate a deal to avoid a full-blown battle for Hodeida, the Red Sea port city that is a key entry point for humanitarian aid.
