�WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th February, 2021) The E3 group and the United States in a joint statement on Thursday stressed the urgent need to end the conflict in Yemen and expressed concern about the Houthi rebel's recent offensive against the Marib governorate.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab held a virtual ministerial meeting to address shared challenges.
"They stressed in particular the urgency of ending the war in Yemen, while reaffirming their steadfast commitment to the security of their regional partners," the joint statement said. "They expressed concern about the recent Houthi offensive against Marib and strikes against civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, calling upon the Houthis and all Yemeni parties to engage constructively in the political process."
The ministers also agreed to cooperate to support the efforts led by UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths to end the war and address the humanitarian crisis, the statement said.
Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi rebels since 2014. A coalition of states led by Saudi Arabia launched a military operation to support the internationally recognized Hadi government in 2015. The Houthis continue to maintain control over a vast part in the north of the country, including the capital of Sanaa.
