Yemen’s President Meets with US, UN Envoys

Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi during his meeting with UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg and the accompanying delegation (Saba News)
Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi during his meeting with UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg and the accompanying delegation (Saba News)
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Yemen’s President Meets with US, UN Envoys

Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi during his meeting with UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg and the accompanying delegation (Saba News)
Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi during his meeting with UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg and the accompanying delegation (Saba News)

Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi affirmed the government's full support for the mission of the UN envoy to reach a comprehensive ceasefire.

Hadi said after meeting the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, in Riyadh that peace has always been Yemen's option and "we'll continue to seek peace as this is the choice of life for our people."

During the meeting, the Yemeni President reviewed the roots of the Yemeni crisis caused by the Houthi militia and the reasons for the insurgents’ obstruction of the political process.

He also touched on Tehran's role in the country and the militia's affiliation to the Iranian agenda aimed at destabilizing Yemen and the region.

The President also met with the US envoy to Yemen, Tim Lenderking, to discuss the ongoing efforts to realize peace and end the war in Yemen.

"We do agree with the US about the strategic issues, namely, not to transform the Iranian experiment to Yemen and the region, secure international marine lines, and fight terrorism."

Hadi also asserted Yemen's support to all regional and international efforts to reach permanent and comprehensive peace based on the GCC's Initiative, outcomes of the National Dialogue, and Security Council resolutions.

He noted the importance of international pressure on the militias to end the escalation and targeting of innocents, displacement camps, and other actions on cities and ports.

The US envoy confirmed Washington's support for Hadi and the government's efforts to achieve peace. He also affirmed support for Yemen and its unity, and for the efforts to achieve peace.



Syria to Take Time Organizing National Dialogue, Foreign Minister Says

 Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
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Syria to Take Time Organizing National Dialogue, Foreign Minister Says

 Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani speaks during a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman, Jordan January 7, 2025. (Reuters)

Syria will take its time to organize a landmark national dialogue conference to ensure that the preparations include all segments of Syrian society, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said on Tuesday, according to state media.

The conference is meant to bring together Syrians from across society to chart a new path for the nation after opposition factions ousted autocratic President Bashar al-Assad. Assad, whose family had ruled Syria for 54 years, fled to Russia.

"We will take our time with the national dialogue conference to have the opportunity to form a preparatory committee that can accommodate the comprehensive representation of Syria from all segments and governments," Shibani said.

Diplomats and visiting envoys had in recent days told Syria's new rulers it would be better not to rush the conference to improve its chances of success, rather than yield mixed results, two diplomats said.

The new government has not yet decided on a date for the conference, sources previously told Reuters, and several members of opposition groups have recently said that they had not received invitations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday time was needed for Syria to pick itself up again and rebuild following Assad's overthrow, and that the damage to infrastructure from 13 years of civil war looked worse than anticipated.

Since Assad's fall on Dec. 8, Türkiye has repeatedly said it would provide any help needed to help its neighbor rebuild, and has sent its foreign minister, intelligence chief, and an energy ministry delegation to discuss providing it with electricity.

Türkiye shares a 911-km (565-mile) border with Syria and has carried out several cross-border incursions against Kurdish YPG militants it views as terrorists.