Top officials from southern Yemen held an expanded meeting in Riyadh on Saturday as part of efforts to build trust and unite southern ranks, paving the way for collective work based on national partnership and responsibility in confronting current challenges.
Prime Minister Shaea Mohsen al-Zandani, Shura Council Chairman Ahmed Obaid bin Daghr, Presidential Leadership Council member Abdulrahman al-Mahrami and Hadramout Governor Salem al-Khanbashi, and several ministers, southern Yemen governors, members of the Shura Council and parliament, and military and political leaderships attended the meeting.
Discussions focused on developments in southern provinces and the political, security and services demands of the coming phase, reported state media.
The gatherers said that the unity of the South was essential for protecting the security and stability of southern provinces and maintaining the current relative calm there.
They stressed the need for partnership to address regional and internal challenges. They underlined the importance of dialogue in resolving disputes, away from escalation and policies that consolidate divisions.
Furthermore, the gatherers underscored their full support to the PLC and prime minister in his effort to form a new government that needs to address various mounting economic and services problems.
They stressed the need to back local authorities and security agencies in the South in performing their duties, saying they were the first line of defense of security and stability. Allowing them to play their role will restore the people’s trust in state institutions.
They expressed their full support for intra-southern dialogue that Saudi Arabia will sponsor, saying it was the best path forward in addressing the root problems of the southern issue.
They praised the pivotal role played by the Kingdom in supporting the South and Yemen on the political, economic, humanitarian and development levels.
They stressed the importance of strategic coordination with Riyadh and committing to the political paths it sponsors, seeing as it is a guarantor of stability and main backer of peace efforts.
