DOHA: Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah said yesterday that the GCC states are quite capable of defending themselves against foreign threat.
The GCC states have “undisclosed measures” through which they can protect their borders and sovereignty, said Al Attiyah, reports Aljazeera.net.
He was replying to questions at a news conference he and GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdullateef Al Zayani held after a meeting of GCC foreign ministers in Riyadh.
Asked about military manoeuvres Shia Houthis in Yemen were doing on Yemen-Saudi border, Dr Al Attiyah reiterated: “The GCC states are quite capable of defending their borders.”
The Council of GCC foreign ministers stands in support of the legitimacy of Yemen as represented by President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi, he said.
Emerging from the meeting of foreign ministers he chaired, Dr Al Attiyah said he calls upon all political parties in Yemen to hold national interest above their own and stick to the outcome of the national dialogue and the GCC initiative, which emphasises the significance of participation of all parties in the national reconciliation process in a balanced and fair manner.
According to Aljazeera.net, Dr Al Attiyah said that the Houthis had been invited to take part in the Yemeni reconciliation “because they are one of the components of Yemen”.
Al Zayani said a conference on Yemen would be held in Riyadh, though he didn’t specify any timeframe. He clarified that the conference will be different from the one that would be held for national dialogue. The conference (for national dialogue) will be held under the supervision of the UN envoy in Yemen, Jamal bin Umer.
The aim of the Riyadh conference is to reiterate Yemen’s legitimacy, reject the coup and restore the power of the state on the Yemeni soil.
These aims were outlined in a communication Hadi addressed to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
The aims include ensuring security and stability in Yemen and its legitimacy, and rejection of the coup, and to not deal with the Houthis’ constitutional declaration and rejection of its (constitution’s) legitimacy. The Houthis must return the weapons and military equipment to the state and the state must control the Yemeni land, said Hadi, describing the aims of the proposed Riyadh conference, according to Aljazeera.net
Earlier, the GCC foreign ministers affirmed the commitment of the bloc to ensure security and stability in Yemen and the legitimacy of Hadi and completion of the political process in accordance with the GCC initiative and outcome of the national dialogue and UN Security Council’s resolutions, reports Qatar News Agency. The GCC Foreign Ministers Council lauded and supported the decision of King Salman and other GCC leaders to hold a conference on Yemen in Riyadh under the umbrella of the GCC Secretariat-General as urged by Hadi.
The Peninsula
