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Grundberg in Riyadh... Al-Alimi Asks for Pressure on the Houthis

The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council meets in Riyadh with the UN envoy. (Saba)
The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council meets in Riyadh with the UN envoy. (Saba)
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Grundberg in Riyadh... Al-Alimi Asks for Pressure on the Houthis

The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council meets in Riyadh with the UN envoy. (Saba)
The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council meets in Riyadh with the UN envoy. (Saba)

UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg, began his visit to Riyadh, on Wednesday, with a meeting with the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, within the framework of international and regional efforts aimed at finding a comprehensive solution to the country’s crisis.
Official Yemeni sources reported that Al-Alimi asked the UN envoy to exert more pressure on the Houthis, to push them towards peace in accordance with international resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2216.
Saba news agency reported that Grundberg briefed the Yemeni official about his recent coordinated contacts with Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, and the international community to resume a comprehensive Yemeni political process under the auspices of the United Nations.
The agency added that the meeting touched on developments in the country, including Saudi mediation for a comprehensive ceasefire that aims to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people and revive the peace path in accordance with its national, regional and international references.
The president of the Leadership Council confirmed the government’s support for the efforts of the United Nations, and the mandate and tasks of its special envoy related to the implementation of Security Council resolutions, in particular Resolution 2216.
Al-Alimi stressed the need to exert maximum pressure on the Houthi militias and push them towards seriously engaging with the ongoing efforts to renew the truce, expand its humanitarian benefits, and achieve the aspirations of the Yemeni people to restore state institutions, security, stability and development.
In addition, the office of the UN envoy to Yemen announced that it met with Saudi Ambassador Mohammed Al Jaber, who is also the general supervisor of the Saudi program for the development and reconstruction of Yemen. The office stated that the meeting came “to discuss the progress of peace mediation efforts and the importance of maintaining concerted regional support.”

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Pedersen Says ‘Extremely Critical’ to Avoid Syria Being Dragged into War in Region

UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
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Pedersen Says ‘Extremely Critical’ to Avoid Syria Being Dragged into War in Region

UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)

The UN special envoy for Syria said on Sunday that it was “extremely critical” to end the fighting in Lebanon and Gaza to avoid the country being pulled into a regional war.

“We need now to make sure that we have immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, that we have a ceasefire in Lebanon, and that we avoid Syria being dragged even further into the conflict,” said Geir Pedersen ahead of a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has not released any details about the Pedersen-Sabbagh meeting. It only issued a brief statement in which it announced the meeting.

Local sources said Pedersen's second visit to Damascus this year is aimed at exploring the possibility of resuming the Constitutional Committee meetings aimed at resolving the Syrian crisis.

The meetings have been stalled since the eighth round on February 22, 2022, due to a dispute over the venue of the reconvening of the Constitutional Committee. Russia, which is not satisfied with Switzerland's joining Western sanctions against Moscow because of the Ukraine war, refuses to hold it in Geneva.

“Pedersen is holding talks with Syrian officials in Damascus, where he arrived last Wednesday, about the possibility of resuming the Constitutional Committee meetings,” reported Syria’s Al-Watan newspaper.

Earlier this month, Russian presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev told TASS: “As you know, only one venue - Geneva - is still unacceptable for the Russian side. As for all others, we are ready to work there.”

He added: “Probably, there is an open option with Baghdad, which, regrettably, was rejected by the Syrian opposition. It refused from this venue because Baghdad is supporting Damascus. They don’t think that Iraq is a neutral venue.”

The Russian diplomat stressed that the committee’s work should be resumed as soon as possible, but, in his words, it takes a lot of effort to find a venue that would be acceptable for both Damascus and the Syrian opposition.

Israel has been conducting airstrikes in Syria against government forces, Iranian troops and Hezbollah targets since the eruption of the crisis there in 2011. Strikes have increased following the Israeli war on Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.

On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll of the Israeli airstrikes on Palmyra city on November 20 continues to increase with many people suffering from severe injuries.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of three Syrians and two non-Syrian members of Iranian-backed militias, bringing the number of fatalities to 105.