RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has called on all parties in Yemen to abide by the Riyadh Agreement in the best interest of the Yemeni people after the Southern Transitional Council in the south decided to establish self-rule in the regions under its control. "We urge all parties in Aden, South of Yemen, to put the Yemeni people first and abide by commitments made in the Riyadh agreement last November. KSA and UAE reaffirm that the agreement represents the only way forward, and we hope parties will observe their commitments," Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman said in a tweet early Monday. "During these challenging global times, leaders in Aden must realize their historic responsibility to keep the Yemeni people safe, and more violence will not achieve that. The Riyadh agreement, which is backed by the international community, must be implemented," Prince Khalid added. Commenting on the development in a tweet, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan said: "The Riyadh agreement guarantees political cooperation for the interests of the Yemeni people and is backed by the UN and the international community. We call for restoring the conditions in Aden as they were before the STC statement, and to implement the Riyadh Agreement." Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir also tweeted, saying: "We in KSA and the UAE strongly believe that the internationally backed Riyadh Agreement has guaranteed an opportunity for the brotherly Yemeni people to live in peace. We reject any hostilities that will jeopardize the safety and stability of Yemen." Meanwhile, the Arab Coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen being led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates underlined the need to restore conditions to their previous state in the interim capital Aden and some southern governorates in Yemen. The Coalition called for an immediate end to any steps contrary to the Riyadh Agreement, and work rapidly toward its implementation, pointing out the overwhelming support for the agreement by the international community and the United Nations. The Coalition said that it would continue to undertake practical and systematic steps to implement the Riyadh Agreement, restore state institutions and combat the scourge of terrorism. The Coalition called for an end to any escalatory actions and return to the Agreement by the participating parties, stressing the immediate need for implementation without delay, and the need to prioritize the Yemeni peoples' interests above all else, as well as working to achieve the stated goals of restoring the state, ending the coup and combating terrorist organizations. The Coalition reaffirmed its support to the legitimate Yemeni government, and its support for implementing the Riyadh Agreement, which entails forming a competent government that operates from the interim capital Aden to tackle economic and developmental challenges, in light of natural disasters such as floods, fears of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, and work to provide services to the brotherly people of Yemen.
