Yemen's government delegation is prepared to start consultations with UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths in Geneva, while the Houthi delegation is making excuses for failing to show up at the talks, Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Yamani told Sputnik on Thursday.
GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2018) Yemen's government delegation is prepared to start consultations with UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths in Geneva, while the Houthi delegation is making excuses for failing to show up at the talks, Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Yamani told Sputnik on Thursday.
The Houthi movement said on Wednesday that its delegation was prevented from leaving the city of Sanaa due to the lack of a permission from the Saudi-led coalition, which controls Yemeni airspace. However, coalition spokesman Turki Maliki said it gave the green-light to the plane of the Houthi delegation to depart for the talks, but the rebels did not use the opportunity.
"We are participating in the consultations with the [UN] special envoy, we committed ourselves to come to the consultations. The supporters of the coup do not want to hold consultations, and are creating obstacles, making excuses for their absence in Geneva. We are extending a hand of peace, this is our position," Yamani said.
Consultations on Yemen were set to start in Geneva on Thursday and are to focus on reactivating the peace process in the country and confidence-building measures, such as the exchange of prisoners. The consultations are expected to bring together the parties to the ongoing Yemeni conflict.
Despite the absence of Houthis, Griffiths started informal consultations with the government delegation and held a meeting with its members on Wednesday.
Yemen is engulfed in an armed conflict between the government headed by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah. The Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf nations has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015.
