Vice President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami, also known as Abou Zaraa, held talks in Riyadh on Thursday with United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on the latest developments in the country.
They tackled UN and international efforts to advance the political process and achieve comprehensive and sustainable peace, said state media.
They addressed preparations to hold a conference on southern Yemen that will be hosted by Riyadh. The conference has been described as pivotal in addressing the Southern Cause through dialogue between various southern parties and figures.
Abou Zaraa Al-Mahrami expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia for hosting the meeting, saying it reflects its keenness on the unity of southern ranks and efforts to support Yemenis in overcoming the current crisis.
He underlined the need to reach a fair and just solution to the Southern Cause, which he said is central to bolstering national efforts to defeat the Houthi coup in Sanaa.
Reaching a unified political agenda for the South will help advance efforts to restore state institutions, fortify the internal scene and move forward towards sustainable peace, he remarked.
He invited Grundberg to take part in the conference. The envoy, for his part, stressed the UN's support for PLC efforts to unite ranks. He underscored the importance of intra-southern dialogue, saying it was pivotal to the political process.
Meanwhile, on the ground, calm prevailed in the Yemeni interim capital Aden as National Shield Forces deployed in the city on Thursday morning in wake of the withdrawal of Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces.
Troops from the Giants Brigades, led by Abou Zaraa Al-Mahrami, also deployed in Aden as part of a joint security plan aimed at protecting the interim capital and secure vital installations.
