RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said on Monday the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) had agreed to host talks in Riyadh to end the Yemen crisis, the state news agency SPA said, quoting a statement by the Saudi King's office, according to Reuters news agency.
The statement states that Saudi Arabia had asked the GCC countries, on the request of Yemen's President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, to host the talks in Riyadh where the headquarters of the organization was, and that they had agreed, reported a local daily.
“The security of Yemen is part and parcel of the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries,” the statement said.
“The GCC countries have expressed their agreement to the request of Yemen's president to hold a conference under the umbrella of the GCC in Riyadh.”
Yemen, a neighbor of top oil exporter Saudi Arabia and global security worry because of its strong Al-Qaeda presence, is caught in a stand-off between Western-backed President Hadi and Houthi rebels, now the country’s de facto rulers. The Houthis are supported by Iran.
