RIYADH — The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr. Abdullatif Bin Rashed Al-Zayani has lauded the signing of the Riyadh Agreement between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen. He described it as an important historic step to protect Yemen's security, stability and unity as well as unify the Yemeni efforts to confront the Houthi militia, restore legitimacy over all Yemeni territories and serve the higher interests of the Yemeni people, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said Tuesday. Al-Zayani valued the sincere efforts exerted by the Kingdom under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, to reach this historic agreement. He said that this emanates from the Kingdom's policies and well-established principles in making wisdom, dialogue and preventing shedding the blood of the innocents prevail. He asserted that the Kingdom has proved its permanent keenness to unify the ranks of the Yemenis, activate the Yemeni state institutions and support them, and meet the daily life needs of the Yemeni people and safeguard the region's stability and boost security and peace in it. Al-Zayani called on the Yemeni factions and all the segments of the Yemeni society to comply with this historic agreement, to support the efforts of the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to bring Yemen to a new phase whose main attributes are the unified Yemeni ranks, supporting the authority of the legitimate government in its efforts to end the conflict and reach a peaceful political settlement, in line with the Gulf initiative, the outcomes of the comprehensive national dialogue and UN Security Council resolution 2216. Foreign Minister welcomes deal Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan too welcomed the deal and stressed that Saudi Arabia favored dialogue to settle any issue. "The Kingdom's policy is to make dialogue paramount and push towards political settlements. It is from this standpoint that the Riyadh Agreement has emanated to turn a new page in Yemen's history so that it lives in security, stability, development and construction. "The Kingdom's patronage of the Riyadh Agreement is due to the historic relations and the concern for a neighboring sisterly country. And the security and stability of the region are a priority that the international community realizes. We are working toward achieving this with the participation of the brethren and friends. "From this perspective, we have been standing beside Yemen, we still are and we will continue to do so," he said. OIC salutes signing of the Riyadh Agreement Meanwhile, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the signing of the Riyadh Agreement between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Tuesday in the Saudi capital, in the presence of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The OIC Secretary General Dr. Yusuf Bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen stressed that this agreement will contribute to enhancing Yemen's security and stability and standing as one front against the Houthi militias. He added that this Agreement promises to usher in a new phase towards reaching radical settlements of the crises Yemen is facing. Al-Othaimeen stressed that permanent peaceful settlements in Yemen require sincere intentions and serious hard work that consider Yemen's interest as paramount over all other considerations. He expressed the OIC's great appreciation for the Kingdom for the fruitful and valuable efforts in peacemaking in the region and its special attention for the situation in Yemen. This reflects the constant keenness of the Kingdom's leadership to maintain Yemeni security and stability and assist the Yemeni people. He also lauded the Saudi efforts to settle disputes in the region and its wisdom in managing the conflicts between brethren in Yemen leading to preventing bloodletting. Al-Othaimeen valued the OIC's appreciation for the role played by the UAE in reaching the Riyadh Agreement. He appreciated the response and cooperation of all the Yemeni parties to reach a peaceful settlement and agreement that will serve the strategic interest of Yemen that will contribute to achieving security and stability in Yemen and cause wisdom and unified ranks to prevail over all other considerations. Al-Othaimeen congratulated President Hadi for his efforts in reaching the agreement and his role in unifying the ranks and activating the Yemeni state institutions to serve Yemen with all its segments. Arab League praises power-sharing deal In a related development, the Arab League praised the signing of the Riyadh Agreement. The Secretary of the Arab League Ahmed Abulgheit who welcomed the signing stressed that the Agreement is deemed an important step toward safeguarding the integration of Yemeni territories and prevent the country from slipping into more division and disintegration. In an official statement by the Secretariat General of the Arab League on Tuesday Abulgheit pointed out that the Kingdom has carried out an important and appreciated role in hosting the negotiations. The Riyadh Agreement gives an indication of the possibility of a consensus among all the Yemeni factions to avoid war. UAE hails sealing of Riyadh Agreement The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the Riyadh Agreement and affirmed its support for all efforts that serve the interests of the brotherly Yemeni people and contribute to the stability and security of Yemen. A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation commended the wisdom of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for playing an essential role in bringing various Yemeni parties to the negotiating table and reaching this critical agreement that strengthens the efforts of Yemeni components to confront the threats targeting Yemen. The statement underscored the importance of Yemeni forces joining hands, cooperating, and prioritizing the higher national interest to take on the threats that Yemen has faced, primarily from the Houthi militias. The statement called for the unification of efforts by the international community to support Yemen in coming days to bolster its stability and contribute to developing its economy. The UAE reaffirmed its commitment to standing with the Yemeni people and supporting their legitimate ambitions in fostering security and peace against the backdrop of a political climate that encourages all efforts in service of the region's peoples. The UAE also praised the Saudi-led Coalition and its role in preserving the region's security, stability, and prosperity and emphasized its commitment to this blessed partnership and coalition rooted in goodwill.
