New Delhi: India has welcomed the initiative announced by Saudi Arabia for fostering peace in Yemen adding that it supports all efforts to find a political solution to the Yemeni crisis.
“India welcomes the initiative announced by Saudi Arabia for fostering peace in Yemen. We have noted that the initiative inter alia proposes a comprehensive ceasefire across Yemen under the supervision of the UN as well as consultations between the Yemeni parties to reach a political resolution under the auspices of the UN,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.
“India supports all efforts to find a political solution to the Yemeni crisis. We hope that all parties in Yemen would be able to come together to the negotiating table soon to end the conflict,” he added.
According to Sputnik, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz says his country will continue to support the Yemeni government in the fight against Houthi rebels.
Earlier in the day, Saudi Arabia proposed a widespread United Nations-sponsored ceasefire in Yemen and said it was awaiting a response from the rebel Houthi movement.
“We hope that they will quickly accept it and start peace consultations between all Yemeni parties to reach a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement,” bin Salman said, adding that Saudi Arabia seeks to establish peace in Yemen.
The deputy defence minister pointed out that the new initiative is in line with previous proposals, “from the Gulf initiative to all consultation efforts to end the crisis and reach a comprehensive political settlement.”
Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have expressed support for Saudi Arabia’s new peace initiative. However, the Houthi rebels said the proposal contains nothing new and urged Saudi Arabia to stop its military activity in Yemen, as reported by Sputnik.
As per the news outlet, the Saudi plan provides for the resumption of the operation of the international airport in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a in some directions, the partial lifting of the blockade from the Yemeni port of Al Hudaydah and the channeling of proceeds from the use of the port to the joint account of the northern and southern authorities in the central bank.
Yemen has been gripped by an internal conflict between government forces and the Houthi movement for over six years. A Saudi-led coalition has been conducting an air campaign against the Houthi rebels in Yemen since 2015, at the request of President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi. The Houthis continue to maintain control over a vast part of northern Yemen, including Sana’a.