Gulf Cooperation Council hosted talks between different Yemeni parties, on Wednesday, at the GCC headquarters in Riyadh -- and will continue until April 7. GCC Secretary-General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf, in his speech at the session, stressed GCC's firm position to support security and stability in Yemen and works to find a solution to the Yemeni crisis. He called for supporting efforts of the international community and envoys to push for a peaceful solution, stressing there is no settlement but a peaceful solution. The Yemeni-Yemeni talks, with their six axes, represent a platform for the people of Yemen to move Yemen from state of war to peace, Al-Hajraf added. The success of the talks is not an option but a duty that requires a national responsibility, to reject all causes of division, he stressed. The unprecedented humanitarian crisis that the Yemenis have been facing for years is something that no Arab would accept, said Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit, in a speech addressed on Abul Gheit's behalf by Arab League Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Arab Affairs and National Security Sector, Ambassador Khalil Al-Thawadi, to the session. The Arab League has adopted, since the beginning of the crisis, a comprehensive political solution as the only way to end the war and establish peace, and all the peoples of the region and their countries are looking forward to it, he said. In turn, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hussein Taha, said the organization was committed to supporting the unity of Yemen, sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and refuse to interfere in its internal affairs, and called for an end to the human suffering of its people and a political solution to the conflict. The Yemeni-Yemeni negotiations represent a historic opportunity for Yemenis, expressing hope that they will contribute to bridging the rift between them. For her part, Managing Director of the Executive Bureau for the Acceleration of Ald Absorption and Support for Policy Reforms, Afrah Al-Zouba, said that more than 30 million Yemenis are living in a very critical and catastrophic situation, and the situation is getting worse every day due to the accumulated crises. With the world's concern about other crises, Yemen actually threatens to reach famine, calling on Yemen's supporters to move from relief work to supporting the development of economy in a way that creates job opportunities for Yemenis and qualifies them to rely on themselves. For his part, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, affirmed that the UN is grateful to the GCC for its efforts during the past years to end the suffering in Yemen, welcoming all diplomatic initiatives that support the efforts of UN to resume consultations and the peaceful political process in Yemen. The most affected by the war are women and children, he said, indicating that the longer this conflict continues, the more impact on civilians, noting that the Yemeni people need to see a clear way out of this conflict. In turn, the US special envoy to Yemen, Tim Lenderking, said that this meeting for a comprehensive dialogue between Yemenis is very important and of great value, as it has not been held for seven years since the beginning of the war. He said that the United States has great energy to support Yemeni projects, expressing US support for the UN proposal for an armistice agreement that could be a first step in establishing a comprehensive cease-fire. For his part, the Swedish Special Envoy to Yemen Peter Semneby expressed hope that this meeting will provide a great opportunity for Yemenis to discuss all solutions to the seven-year crisis to achieve security, governance and economic reform that must focus on. He added that this process should be comprehensive for women, all generations, different segments of Yemeni society, Yemeni parties and tribes, side by side with all Yemeni political parties, in order to reach peaceful solutions for the long term. The Ukrainian "tragedy" that is currently taking place wont makes us forget the Yemeni crisis, and we will continue to provide humanitarian aid to Yemen, he added.
