The absence of the Houthi delegation from the Yemen peace consultations in Geneva does not mean the consultations have failed, Matthew Tueller, the US ambassador to Yemen, said Friday.
GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th September, 2018) The absence of the Houthi delegation from the Yemen peace consultations in Geneva does not mean the consultations have failed, Matthew Tueller, the US ambassador to Yemen, said Friday.
The Houthi delegation did not arrive in Geneva as planned on Thursday due to lack of confidence in a safe flight through airspace controlled by Saudi aviation even though the Saudi-led coalition said it gave permission for the Houthis to fly out. The talks proceeded with just external mediators and the Yemeni government delegation present.
"We'll all continue and the fact that the delegation from Sanaa is not here, that doesn't mean that this has been a failure. It doesn't mean we stop doing what we're doing," Tueller told reporters.
Tueller added that the presence of the government delegation has already brought progress on some issues.
"I think the presence of the government delegation has delivered some improvements [on some of the issues] and support and encouragement," Tueller said.
Tueller added that it was disappointing that the Houthis could not travel to Geneva, as one of the topics discussed would have been the travel of war wounded.
"One of the issues that was to have been discussed here and that there was a lot of preparatory work would actually have enabled regular flights to evacuate wounded to for treatment abroad so it's disappointing that the delegation from Sanaa isn't here," Tueller said.
Earlier in the day, the United Nations said that UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths was working to ensure that the Houthi delegation arrives in Geneva. The delegation has said that it would make a final decision on Friday.
