GCC: Yemenis Looking Forward to All Parties Joining Riyadh Consultations

The GCC headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The GCC headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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GCC: Yemenis Looking Forward to All Parties Joining Riyadh Consultations

The GCC headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The GCC headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The intra-Yemeni consultations are set to kick off on Tuesday with the aim of reaching a political solution to the crisis in Yemen. They are being sponsored by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GGC) and will be held at its Riyadh headquarters.

GCC Ambassador to Yemen Sarhan Al-Minaikher said Sunday that all Yemeni parties are invited to the consultations.

"We expect everyone to attend without exception," he remarked in an interview to Asharq News television.

The Yemenis have sat individually with several international and United Nations agencies, but they have never sat together to directly talk to each other about their problems, he went on to say.

The GCC consultations aim to bring together all Yemenis so that they can come up with a clear roadmap that ends the war and leads to peace, construction and development, he added.

The Yemeni people "deserve a dignified life" and they are an integral part of the Gulf and Arab world, stressed Al-Minaikher.

The Yemenis are hoping that no party will skip the consultations, he stated.

The consultations will kick off on Tuesday and conclude on April 7.



Australian Deputy PM Stresses Importance of Partnership with Saudi Arabia

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles attends the annual Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) meeting at Lancaster House in London, Britain, 16 December 2024. EPA
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles attends the annual Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) meeting at Lancaster House in London, Britain, 16 December 2024. EPA
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Australian Deputy PM Stresses Importance of Partnership with Saudi Arabia

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles attends the annual Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) meeting at Lancaster House in London, Britain, 16 December 2024. EPA
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles attends the annual Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) meeting at Lancaster House in London, Britain, 16 December 2024. EPA

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles stressed the strong relations between Saudi Arabia and Australia, noting that the Kingdom stands as Australia's second-largest trading partner in the Middle East.

In a statement issued by his office, Marles indicated that his visit to the Kingdom and the UAE seeks to enhance collaborative efforts within the G20 and other multilateral institutions and aims to emphasize the unwavering commitment to a rules-based international order.

The statement further emphasized that the Kingdom is a crucial partner for Australia and that the visit presents an opportunity to broaden economic ties and explore avenues for deeper cooperation with regional leaders.

Marles said that this visit underscores Australia's commitment to fortifying economic and diplomatic ties with the Kingdom, recognizing its crucial role as a partner in addressing shared global challenges.

Marles met with Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz in Riyadh on Wednesday.